Overview
- Quantum computers use qubits that exploit superposition, entanglement and interference to tackle specific problems potentially far faster than classical machines.
- Researchers say practical systems remain out of reach due to decoherence, cryogenic hardware demands, immature software and the need for fault-tolerant error correction.
- D-Wave reported earlier this year that it simulated quantum magnetic phase transitions beyond classical reach, a claim that awaits independent verification.
- Expected early wins center on high-value tasks such as drug discovery, materials modeling, complex optimization, financial modeling and scaling some AI and machine-learning workloads.
- Security experts warn that future quantum capability threatens today’s public-key encryption and may encourage data theft for later decryption, prompting moves toward quantum-resistant methods.