Quantum computing has made leaps and bounds in recent years, with many projects expected to hit the market in the 2030s. With these advancements will come a new, faster way to process data and support applications like machine learning. Now, British researchers claim they have a new working quantum computer chip that can be mass-produced and hit the market as soon as 2027.
Classical vs. Quantum Processing
Most hardware today facilitates classical computing, where our machines work in binary and store information in bits as either 1 or 0. Quantum computing uses qubits instead, which can exist as a 1, a 0, or both at the same time. In practical terms, the result is much faster processing that is best applied to data-intensive use cases.
Classical computing will still be the default because it’s more than enough to handle what we throw at it today. We wouldn’t use quantum mechanics to render colors and on-page assets or manage basic transactions, all things necessary for streaming, shopping, or iGaming online. They can all be done without lightning-fast quantum processing, so if a user tries to play Slingo games for real money at Paddy’s, these bingo games and many others can be handled by every classical CPU and GPU on the market right now. Instead, quantum computing can greatly benefit artificial intelligence and simulation technology, while also reshaping key digital industries like cybersecurity and energy management.
Oxford Ionics’ New Quantum Chip
British tech firm Oxford Ionics is the mind behind this new quantum chip, and they claim it can be mass-produced using the same semiconductor manufacturing methods that other hardware uses today.
As a rule, the few existing quantum computers today require perfect zero temperatures, careful laser arrangement, and perfect maintenance to function. These three elements create an ion trap, allowing for the control of qubits. You can find a deep dive on ion trapping at PhysicsWorld.
It works, but it was never something that you could bring to market. That’s why leading quantum researchers like IBM and Google keep their colossal computers behind closed doors and offer cloud processing using their mega-machines instead.
Oxford Ionics has ditched the lasers for something they call an electronic qubit control system. It’s a silicon-based chip that uses traditional circuitry to regulate trapped ions instead of the very powerful, very expensive laser. It didn’t just work – its researchers claim it’s faster than previous quantum chips while using fewer qubits at 256. While some quantum spaces try to build hype around a high qubit count, co-founder Dr. Tom Harty stated that “increasing the number of qubits means nothing if they do not produce accurate results.”
CEO Dr. Chris Ballance also emphasized the team’s “rocket ship approach” where they took aim at the most challenging parts of the project first. Both Harty and Ballance’s full comments can be read in Oxford Ionics’ press release, alongside praise from Dr. Michael Cuthbert of the National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC). Earlier this year, Oxford Ionics partnered with the NQCC to build a quantum computer called Quartet.
If the new chip is fully scalable, then it can be produced in the same factories that make modern Intel or Snapdragon chipsets right now. It represents a dramatic leap forward in quantum computing and hardware design in general. Despite the chip’s efficient use of its qubits, qubit count is still the next big hurdle. Experts have long claimed that a computer needs to have as many as one million qubits to truly deliver on the promise of quantum problem-solving.
