These three topics will boost your understanding of the opportunities and perils of quantum computing

For a CIO or a line of business leader, quantum remains a mystical topic; yet, where there is mystery there can be margins. As we pointed out in our previous point of view on quantum computing, “Understanding quantum computing is critical to preparing your firm for the next leap.” Quantum computing is a force multiplier that will enhance (not replace) traditional computing. This point of view will dive into the shallow end to provide a layman’s understanding of tunneling, entanglement, and superposition.

By being aware of these basics, and the challenges of dealing with environmental conditions necessary for the operation of a quantum computer, business and technology leaders can begin to apply the power of quantum in their business.

An appreciation of three technical aspects of quantum computing is necessary: tunneling, entanglement, and superposition

The fundamental concepts of quantum are tunneling, entanglement, and superposition—knowing why they matter is your key to using quantum to solve problems and create value. Let’s start with tunneling.

Tunneling deals with atomic particles’ unpredictability

To understand quantum mechanics, we must embrace two important things: the very small and that we are dealing with nature, not machines. Quantum involves the physics of the very small. And by very small, we are talking electrons, protons, and other atomic nuclei. The absence of size compounds our understanding as, at this level, the rules of physics we experience in our everyday lives do not necessarily apply anymore.

The first challenge in quantum computing comes from “tunneling.” Tunneling happens at the atomic and sub-atomic levels, where particles can act unpredictably.

An example of how mind-boggling quantum mechanics is can be illustrated by imagining a person bouncing a basketball in a high-rise apartment. The physical activity used to make the basketball bounce creates the expected response: it bounces back, and per our common appreciation of physics, the ball stays in the same room (and floor!) as the person bouncing it.

But when we shrink this example to the point at which quantum mechanics can be applied, that basketball (an analogy for an electron) will sometimes bounce back, but other times, it might just pass through the floor into the apartment below. This is called quantum tunneling. Simply put, quantum tunneling is when an electron passes through a material that it should not be able to. Overcoming the challenge of tunnelling has created significant opportunities to unleash computing power of a quantum system.

Nonetheless, quantum tunneling is a critical aspect of quantum mechanics. While it’s hard to comprehend, scientists have developed the math that allows us to prove its existence and, to some degree, anticipate when it might happen. Along with quantum entanglement, tunneling is a unique aspect of the operations of quantum computers. The majority of quantum computing power comes from harnessing both abilities.

Entanglement is crucial for harnessing the computing power of the atom to create vast new computing capabilities.

Moving beyond the analogy of cars and planes, we can look to nature to witness firsthand the many aspects of quantum.

For example, have you ever been mesmerized by a video or image (see Exhibit 1) showing an incredibly large school of fish swimming in concert with one another? Thousands of individual fish move as if connected and operating as a sum of the whole rather than as mere parts. As you watch, these fish seemingly anticipate the change of direction, not by their neighbor but rather by the whole school. The result is changes in motion that are far beyond an ability to predict or model using normal means.

Exhibit 1: A large school of fish is a great analogy for quantum entanglement

Source: The author and DALL-E

This image of a “ball of fish” is a great analogy for a core tenet of quantum, the phenomenon of quantum entanglement.

Quantum entanglement is the phenomenon that occurs when a group of particles is generated, interacts, or shares spatial proximity in such a way that the quantum state of each particle of the group cannot be described independently of the state of the others, including when a large distance separates the particles.

To apply this school of fish example to our definition of quantum entanglement, replace “particles” with each fish, its proximity to another, and the state in which it ceases to act independently but as part of a collective group until disturbed by an outside force.

Effectively, these fish are entangled by their ability to interpret a thousand inputs across all their senses, conscious and subconscious. Their motions are a state of being rather than an intent, and they continue to adapt and change as if connected by invisible threads connecting their base intellect and the mechanics shaping their physical state at any given time.

Quantum is a part of the world around us because nature seeks to use energy in the most efficient way possible. Whether that is represented in the school of fish, a flight of birds, or the development of a flower’s petals, nature continues to organize chaos to find the most efficient use of energy to achieve its goals.

Mapping superposition unleashes the ability to calculate results

The key to a quantum computer is controlling a subatomic particle. In the case of an electron, two particles are held in place by a magnetic current. The interaction of particles differs from normal computers, which calculate on an on-or-off state translated into bits (1 or 0); quantum computers use quantum physics to create qubits.

Okay, this is typically where the reader tosses down the paper and says, “Not for me!” but I implore you to please stay with me a bit longer.

A particle’s superposition allows quantum computers to create, observe, and calculate based on multiple simultaneous on-or-off scenarios. These are converted into data the quantum computer will use in calculations. By applying and extracting information from these particles, quantum computers can execute calculations at a speed binary computers are unable to achieve.

With an infinite number of possible positions, the fact we can map two particles spinning in opposition allows for only two results. Thus, we achieve the linkage of our traditional binary way of comprehending 1s and 0s, but at a significant multiple in the output and analysis.

By designing a machine that controls tunneling, entanglement, and superposition, we create qubits—a logarithmic advancement in computing power

The computing power of a quantum computer’s qubits (see Exhibit 2) achieves far greater results in significantly less time than a traditional computer. This is due to replacing binary calculations with results in a factor of 2 for every binary bit (e.g. 64-bit is over 4,000 Qubits).

Exhibit 2: Comparing results of quantum over traditional computing: qubits versus bits

Source: HFS Research, 2023

The math needed to capture the value of qubits is far more complex than counting 1s and 0s. Perhaps the easiest way to think about how a quantum computer computes is to look for the probability of solutions, not the exact solution.

While traditional computers solve a problem, quantum computers attempt to anticipate the solution by looking at as many simultaneous events as possible. Reflecting on the single fish in the school, turning nearly exactly in concert with its peers, it’s not as much a cascade as a change in state arising from their superposition state of entanglement.

Their sensitivity to noise will likely be the reason your firm never owns a quantum computer

Quantum computers are fragile; the slightest noise impacts the quality of results calculation.

Given their tendency to do the unexpected, external factors easily influence qubits. For a quantum computer to function, it must work in isolation. Any noise will result in errors. Therefore, both physical and computational error suppression tools have been developed to reduce noise-created inaccuracies. The need for a near-perfect and isolated state of operation for this technology may be the biggest challenge in adopting it as a mainstream solution.

A perfect and explainable example is our school of fish. Exhibit 3, where a diver is disrupting the ability of the fish to act in concert, shows the impact of noise on an entangled operating environment. In our illustration, the diver’s impact is more than just how the fish swim around him. The diver changes the movement of the water, its temperature, and thousands of other unseen variables. The introduction of noise changes the state of the school of fish, and any previously assumed probabilities may no longer be valid.

Exhibit 3: The introduction of noise into a quantum state changes the fundamental nature of the function

Source: The author and DALL-E

Companies like Google, D-Wave, and IBM are investing heavily in noise mitigation, suppression, and correction solutions to address noise. These solutions must evolve with quantum computing technology to ensure its usability. This creates a myriad of new challenges and one upon which whole ecosystems of partnerships are developing.

Implementing a quantum computer is challenging, so get ready for quantum computing-as-a-service

There are a lot of technical differences between traditional computing and quantum computing. But, in a nutshell, two main factors beyond cost currently impede the adoption of quantum computing.

First, a quantum computer is an incredibly specialized device that isolates a subatomic particle (e.g., an electron or proton). It must operate at 0° Kelvin (about -270° C or -460° F) to do so. It is very cold—like outer space cold. This is far beyond how we currently use liquid (room temperature or slightly below) to cool existing high-performance computing (HPC) systems.

Second, as we established, quantum computers are incredibly susceptible to noise. Anything from the outside world—vibrations, sounds, temperature changes—can change the processing and computing of answers. As such, the infrastructure required to house and power a quantum computer will be cost-prohibitive to the average company for years. Exhibit 4 shows just how different an HPC is from a quantum computer. The HPC can be deployed or adopted from a cloud provider; the uniqueness of a quantum computer likely means that 90% of the time, it will be borrowed from a specialized provider.

Exhibit 4: High-performance computer versus quantum computer

Source: Cray Computers, IBM

This specialized nature of a quantum computer’s design, build, and maintenance alone will prevent many firms from deploying one. However, organizations will likely approach quantum computing as they are HPC resources via the cloud as quantum computing-as-a-service emerges. But we’ll tackle this in another POV.

The Bottom Line: The complex infrastructure a quantum computer requires means your firm will likely never own one. But it doesn’t mean you don’t need a strategy for how you’ll use it to drive business outcomes for complex problems.

The complexity of operating a quantum computer will likely mean that, for the foreseeable future, it does not make business sense. However, your company is likely to gain a lot from using quantum computing; as such, rather than owning a quantum computer, your firm will likely reap a large reward by engaging with partners who can support a quantum-computing-as-a-service model.

Operating, maintaining, and delivering results will likely benefit from partners that are experts with the technology, modifying the code and queries needed to obtain high-quality outputs, and then delivering these in the context of the industry, business, or data needs of the firm requesting these services.