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82 February/March 2017 | Unmanned Systems Technology PS | Quantum computing T he theory of quantum computing can be traced back to the work initiated by Paul Benioff and Yuri Manin, Richard Feynman and David Deutsch during the 1980s (writes Stewart Mitchell). The theory states a quantum computation system could make direct use of quantum mechanical phenomena, such as superposition and entanglement, to perform operations on stored information. Traditional computers manipulate and store information in the form of binary digits –bits. A bit is the smallest unit of data in a computer which has a single value, either 0 or 1. Quantum computing, on the other hand, uses what are called qubits. They can be 0s and 1s arranged in a particular order such that a processor can interpret them as such, or a variable value, defined by quantum mechanics probability, somewhere between the two. That allows for far more complex computations to be carried out. The potential of quantum computing is such that highly capable computers can be created at the atomic scale and, if stacked in an array, could perform computational tasks far more efficiently than the computers we currently use while requiring less power in the circuitry. In November 2016, researchers at The University of Manchester took a major step closer to confirming the potential of creating quantum computers that could work at the atomic scale. They revealed that large molecular structures of nickel and chromium could store information in the same way as bit arrays – bytes –in contemporary digital computers. The configuration they built could generate several kinds of stable qubits that could be combined into structures called two-qubit gates. Lead researcher Prof Richard Winpenny explains, “We have shown that the chemistry required for bringing together two-qubit gates is obtainable and that the molecules can be constructed into this desired array without too much trouble. However, at this stage, large assemblies that are stable enough to perform useful tasks based on current algorithm forms do not yet exist.” To address the problem of the algorithm form, the team joined large molecules together to create two-qubit arrangements and a bridge between them, called a quantum gate. The gate shows that the information stored in the individual qubits can be stored for long enough to allow manipulation of the information and hence develop algorithms but requiring a new form. Prof Winpenny says, “We want the qubits to be stable for long enough so that we can store and manipulate information. If it’s achievable to create multi-qubit gates we’re hoping this will be the basis for the system to be controllable through algorithms in the future.” The main practical issue with quantum computers is that they need to be cooled to absolute zero (-273 C) to get the stability that Prof Winpenny mentions, with one experimental commercial system using about 25 kW of refrigeration. If, however, quantum computing is attainable in a stable multi-qubit gate form, it could consist of an unlimited number of systems, which could revolutionise computing as we know it. As many operations designed for high- performance computer technology are being developed for the infrastructure for unmanned systems, quantum computing is definitely food for thought for autonomous technology in the future. Now, here’s a thing “ ” We have shown that the chemistry required for bringing together two- qubit gates is obtainable