So intel has created a 17 Qubit quantum chip. Apparently the condition needed to operate are colder however it has a higher range of operation which means it can maintain a more stable quantum environment. The superconducting chip, equivalent to the size of a half-dollar coin, is manufactured in such as way that it can work reliably in higher temperatures. With the new architecture, they have reduced radio frequency interference between the qubits. Its rumored they achieved this in how they coupled the rf connections at the bottom of the chip to the quantum substrate but as is the nature of proprietary technology we must wait for intel to release what they did and how they did it.
I find this interesting however I think that there is sort of another technology aiming at solving a similar issue in computing and that is the memristor (though its main focus is memory and neural networks it can do alot of other things). I am currently at a university that gives me a unique view on these old but revised and interesting devices.
At a basic level A memristor is a special component in the realm of electrical engineering. It is an quasi active electrical component that limits or regulates the flow of electrical current in a circuit. This sounds similar to a resistor however a memristor is able to retain a memory of how much charge flowed through it which makes it capable of storing bits. Memristors are important because they are non-volatile, meaning that they retain memory without power.
The way I can explain a memristor is to make people compare it to an imaginary pipe that carries water. When the water (charge) flows in one direction, the pipe’s diameter expands and allows the water to flow faster – but when the water (charge) flows in the opposite direction, the pipe’s diameter contracts and slows the water’s flow down. If the water is shut off, the pipe retains its diameter until the water is turned back on. I am going to extend this analogy to the electrostatic realm of electric circuits, when a memristor’s power is shut off, the memristor retains its resistance value. This would mean that if power to a computer was cut off with a hard shut down, all the applications and documents that were open before the shut down would still be right there the screen when the computer was restarted.
This variability in resistance also allows us to be able to set different bit values at each level similar to a quantum computer having a defined number of qu bits. This is where analog and digital once again cross and prove that ultimately neither is here to stay or go.
Just an interesting though that a memristor can store many bits at the same time and process them based on the amount of current flowing through the device. Its not the same concept of a quantum computer as its based on electromagnetic spin and has a defined number of qu bits. Where a memristor could theoretically have an infinite number of stored and processed bits. In practice though we have only begun to start manufacturing them again based on new technological processes. They can be applied to neuromorphic computing and do not need temperature extremes to operate. However they can be susceptible to certain parasitic in the circuit but thats another topic for another day
@wendell The 17 qu bit Qcomputer Might be worth a talk on the L1T news? or the memristors but I dont have documentation I can share on that research unfortunately lol