Quantum Computers: A Change in Projection

An international team of scientists at Aberystwyth University has proposed a new mechanism for building quantum computers.  Lead  scientist Dr Daniel Klaus Burgarth described* how the frequent observation of a basic building block of a quantum system, known as a qubit, could lead to the creation of far more powerful computers capable of performing very complex computations in a very short time.

While the possibility of using quantum effects to develop a new type of computer has been known for over 30 years, only small “quantum computers” have been built until now. Dr Burgarth said: “Essentially our result is in the realm of theoretical physics, more specifically quantum computing. What we show is that the act of measuring a quantum system can change its dynamics substantially, to the extent that the not-measured system is very simple while the measured one is a quantum computer.”

Dr Burgarth is a Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Mathematics, Physics and Computer Science at Aberystwyth University. Originally from Hamburg in Germany, he graduated in Physics at Freiburg University and was awarded his PhD from University College London.

As a researcher he has worked at ETH Zurich, Oxford University and Imperial College London. His area of research is Quantum Physics and he works closely with physicists, mathematicians and computer scientists. He joined Aberystwyth University in 2011.

Nature Communications October 10 :Exponential rise of dynamic complexity in quantum computing through projections http://ilmt.co/PL/ZO5