Unlike traditional computers that rely on bits of information that can be in one of two states (1 or 0), quantum computers manipulate qubits, or units of information tucked inside subatomic particles. That means, they follow the wacky laws of quantum mechanics and so can be in two states at once. This ability allows quantum computers to theoretically store exponentially more information than your everyday laptop. Live Science is here to dissect the latest achievements and discoveries in this bizarre quantum world of computing.
Latest about quantum computers
'Quantum hard drives' closer to reality after scientists resolve 10-year-old problem
Scientists in Australia say they've cracked a key hurdle facing the the development of scalable quantum computers and practical quantum data storage.
Monster 4,400-qubit quantum processor is '25,000 times faster' than its predecessor
D-Wave says its new Advantage2 processor, which is designed for complex applications in AI, optimization and data science, is faster and more accurate than its existing 5,000-qubit system.
IBM's newest 156-qubit quantum chip can run 50 times faster than its predecessor — equipping it for scientific research
When combined with Qiskit software tools, the 156-qubit R2 Heron quantum processor can perform 5,000 two-qubit gate operations — double the previous best — meaning it's ready for complex quantum computations, IBM scientists say.
Why do we need quantum computers and what will they be used for?
Quantum computers will one day outpace the fastest supercomputers on the planet, but what will they be used to accomplish?
Chinese scientists claim they broke RSA encryption with a quantum computer — but there's a catch
Researchers claim to have broken RSA encryption using a quantum computer, but what really happened?
History of quantum computing: 12 key moments that shaped the future of computers
Although quantum computing is a nascent field, there are plenty of key moments that defined it over the last few decades as scientists strive to create machines that can solve impossible problems.
Radical quantum computing theory could lead to more powerful machines than previously imagined
Scientists have just theorized how to connect quantum processors over vast distances to form a giant quantum computing network that acts as a single machine.
New quantum computer smashes 'quantum supremacy' record by a factor of 100 — and it consumes 30,000 times less power
The 56-qubit H2-1 computer has broken the previous record in the 'quantum supremacy' benchmark first set by Google in 2019.
Quantum internet breakthrough after 'quantum data' transmitted through standard fiber optic cable for 1st time
The study used a specialized photon source to transmit, store and retrieve quantum data, a major component of quantum data transmission.
China creates its largest ever quantum computing chip — and it could be key to building the nation's own 'quantum cloud'
China’s supersized superconducting chip looks to match the performance of industry leaders like IBM and will be used to help scale up the performance of quantum computers globally.
