University of WA test drives quantum supercomputer

Researchers from the University of Western Australia (UWA) and the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom are currently testing an early prototype of a quantum computer. Calling it an advancement in the new wave of supercomputers, PhD student Thomas Loke from UWA's School of Physics said the researchers worked to simulate a'quantum walk', which enables information in the quantum computer to be manipulated and travel in many ways at the same time. "The software I developed allowed the research team to test quantum walks and complete a complex algorithm on the computer, providing evidence that even an early prototype of the quantum computer can do more than a traditional computer," Loke said. "Building a large-scale quantum computer is one of the biggest global engineering challenges and this research has brought us one step closer in this significant advancement for global technology." With quantum computers still in their early stages of development, Loke said it was the first experimental implementation of his quantum codes, and that several more would follow.