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Kaos
28-Feb-2006, 04:34 PM
Click Here (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/02/060223084147.htm)

The implications are mind boggling. :rockbrow:


Source: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (http://www.uiuc.edu/)
Posted: February 23, 2006
Quantum Computer Solves Problem, Without Running

By combining quantum (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/02/060223084147.htm#) computation and quantum interrogation, scientists (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/02/060223084147.htm#) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have found an exotic way of determining an answer to an algorithm -- without ever running the algorithm.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/2006/02/060223084147.jpg
Paul Kwiat, right, a John Bardeen Professor of Electrical and Computer Enginering and Physics, and graduate student (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/02/060223084147.htm#) Onur Hosten have found an exotic way of determining an answer to an algorithm â�" without ever running the algorithm. (Photo by L. Brian Stauffer)
Using an optical-based quantum computer, a research team led by physicist Paul Kwiat has presented the first demonstration of "counterfactual computation," inferring information about an answer, even though the computer did not run. The researchers report their work in the Feb. 23 issue of Nature.
Quantum computers have the potential for solving certain types of problems much faster than classical computers. Speed and efficiency are gained because quantum bits can be placed in superpositions of one and zero, as opposed to classical bits, which are either one or zero. Moreover, the logic behind the coherent nature of quantum information processing often deviates from intuitive reasoning, leading to some surprising effects.
"It seems absolutely bizarre that counterfactual computation -- using information that is counter to what must have actually happened -- could find an answer without running the entire quantum computer," said Kwiat, a John Bardeen Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Physics (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/02/060223084147.htm#) at Illinois. "But the nature of quantum interrogation makes this amazing feat possible."
Sometimes called interaction-free measurement, quantum interrogation is a technique that makes use of wave-particle duality (in this case, of photons) to search a region of space without actually entering that region of space.
Utilizing two coupled optical interferometers, nested within a third, Kwiat's team succeeded in counterfactually searching a four-element database using Grover's quantum search algorithm. "By placing our photon in a quantum superposition of running and not running the search algorithm, we obtained information about the answer even when the photon did not run the search algorithm," said graduate student Onur Hosten, lead author of the Nature paper. "We also showed theoretically how to obtain the answer without ever running the algorithm, by using a 'chained Zeno' effect."
Through clever use of beam splitters and both constructive and destructive interference, the researchers can put each photon in a superposition of taking two paths. Although a photon can occupy multiple places simultaneously, it can only make an actual appearance at one location. Its presence defines its path, and that can, in a very strange way, negate the need for the search algorithm to run.
"In a sense, it is the possibility that the algorithm could run which prevents the algorithm from running," Kwiat said. "That is at the heart of quantum interrogation schemes, and to my mind, quantum mechanics doesn't get any more mysterious than this."
While the researchers' optical quantum computer cannot be scaled up, using these kinds of interrogation techniques may make it possible to reduce errors in quantum computing, Kwiat said. "Anything you can do to reduce the errors will make it more likely that eventually you'll get a large-scale quantum computer."


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In addition to Kwiat and Hosten, co-authors of the Nature paper are graduate students Julio Barreiro, Nicholas Peters and Matthew Rakher (now at the University of California at Santa Barbara). The work was funded by the Disruptive Technologies Office and the National Science Foundation.

losherman
28-Feb-2006, 05:06 PM
yeah thats pretty spooky.

Dawg
28-Feb-2006, 07:31 PM
Yeah? But somehow, somewhere, Bill Gates will still be able to screw it up and Windows 3000 (or whatever it would be called), would crash just as much as it does now and yesteryear.

Tell me this, why the hell doesn't a software computer like Microsoft, license or create their own programs for Windows that are commonplace nowadays so people don't have to go out of their way to download and use them? An example would be Winzip, in which I misplaced my mother-in-laws' Network card installation disc, so therefore I couldn't get her DSL back up after I had to reinstall Windoze. (Because for some stupid reason it wouldn't fully load.) After trying to discuss some options with the friendly SBC DSL customer support from India, I went home and downloaded the installation file for her model as a zip file. I downloaded Winzip, but it was over five megs, too much for a simple 3.5 disk. So instead, I downloaded WinRar which did the same damn thing at a measly 900k. Once I got back a day or so later, the Winrar disk was corrupt and wouldn't let me download the file to her computer from the disk, even though I could see it there on the screen. So, I copied it onto a new disk back home and that did the trick. Now if Windoze actually had a Winzip type program integrated in the operating system, I could have saved a trip. Brilliant.

MinionZombie
28-Feb-2006, 09:10 PM
I'm not even going to try and lie and say I have any idea what any of that means...but it sounds impressive.

But in terms of mind-bending "woah" factor, discussing the universe...in serious depth ("but where did THAT come from?"), while scoffing down funky-muffins, just makes your brain feel two times too big for your inferior skull, lol.

*edit*

Yeh bitch, AFH I'm on yo ass...er...ho..., check out who's now getting unhealthy interest from zombies! :sneaky:

p2501
01-Mar-2006, 02:34 PM
But does it play MP3's?


it's an impressive thing, considering they're working with Tech that's not even in what could be called a prototype stage to a full mock up Quantum computer.

i think given this tech and the fact it's being devloped in so many ways, there is for once a real possibility we may see functional AI within our lifetimes.


and i for one will welcome our new machine masters.

MinionZombie
01-Mar-2006, 04:53 PM
What creeps me out are those crazy Japs making robots that look exactly like us humans - they had some Japanese chick-bot on display last year at some wonder-con or something and it was scary how lifelike she ... it ... was, you could eventually see that something wasn't right, which is the same moment you let a little slip into your tighty-whities.