Nov 21, 2017 (NHK) - A group of Japanese researchers has developed the country's first quantum computer and is offering others free trials as a way to spur further innovation.
Quantum computers utilize the unique properties of photons and other subatomic particles to vastly increase computing power.
The Japanese team says its quantum computer has 100 times the calculating speed of a supercomputer.
The device was developed by a national project team, including researchers from the National Institute of Informatics, telecom giant NTT and the University of Tokyo.
The group's computer uses a one-kilometer-long looped optical fiber. A massive numbers of photons are placed inside it for super high-speed calculations.
The device can, for example, calculate the optimal way to connect tens of thousands of smartphone users packing a sports stadium with Wi-Fi base stations without jamming signals.
The computing power may also be used to ease urban traffic congestion and to develop medicines by finding the right combination of chemicals.
The research team is offering its peers around the world the opportunity to try out the epoch-making machine, in the hope they will develop application software and help enhance the computer's performance.
Stanford University Professor Emeritus Yoshihisa Yamamoto is the program manager on the project. He says he believes the team's model is the best in the world in terms of performance. He says he hopes Japan will become a powerhouse in the field of quantum computing.
Canadian venture firm D-Wave Systems released the world's first quantum computer in 2011. Google, IBM and Microsoft are also developing the technology.
Source: ANNnewsCH
