On may 9, quantum computing company Quantinuum, announced a major breakthrough in fault-tolerant quantum computing, through the release of its 2nd Generation Quantum Computer: System Model H2.
Quantinuum’s new H2 quantum computer has created a non-Abelian topological quantum matter and braided its anyons.
Topological qubits represent a breakthrough in quantum computing because they offer higher stability and error tolerance than traditional qubits.
In Quantinuum’s latest work, topological qubits are based on non-Abelian anyons (or nonabelions), exotic particles that exhibit unique quantum properties. Nonabelions are a type of anyon that can exist only in 2D universes or when matter is confined to a 2D surface. They defy conventional physics notions that all particles must be fermions or bosons. When two identical non-Abelian anyons switch positions, they change their quantum state in a complex way. This unique behavior allows them to perform non-Abelian quantum computations, that is, ones that produce different results when performed in a different order.
The error-tolerant nature of topological qubits results from the intrinsic topological properties of nonabelions. When nonabelions are wrapped around each other, they trace error-resistant paths, and although disturbances such as magnetic fields slightly alter the paths, their qualitative linkage or topology remains unchanged.
This increased stability enables the development of large-scale quantum computers capable of performing complex computations with a high level of accuracy, potentially outperforming classical computers in a variety of applications. The error-tolerant nature of topological qubits also reduces the need for error-correcting codes, simplifying the design and implementation of quantum computing systems.
Link to Quantinuum’s work:
Quantinuum is the world’s largest standalone quantum computing company. Its focus is to create scalable, commercial quantum solutions to solve the world’s most pressing problems in fields such as energy, logistics, climate change and health.
Image credit: Quantinuum