A Single Molecule Computes Thousands of Times Faster than Your PC
73 replies, posted
[img]http://www.popsci.com/files/imagecache/article_image_large/articles/iodine.jpg[/img]
[release]A demo of a quantum calculation carried out by Japanese researchers has yielded some pretty mind-blowing results: a single molecule can perform a complex calculation thousands of times faster than a conventional computer.
A proof-of-principle test run of a discrete Fourier transform -- a common calculation using spectral analysis and data compression, among other things -- performed with a single iodine molecule transpired very well, putting all the molecules in your PC to shame.
Using quantum interference – the vibrations of the atoms themselves – the team was able to run the complete discrete Fourier transform extremely quickly by encoding the inputs into an optically tailored vibrational wave packet which is then run through an excited iodine molecule whose atomic elements are oscillating at known intervals and picked up by a receiver on the other side. The entire process takes just a few tens of femtoseconds (that’s a quadrillionth of a second). So we’re not just talking faster data flow or processing here; these are speeds that are physically impossible on any kind of conventional electronic device.
But don’t trade in your conventional computing power just yet. Like other quantum information platforms, molecular computing is in its infancy; we understand some of its mechanisms, but it’s difficult to execute and there are still a lot of unknowns. Further, researchers aren’t quite sure how they could integrate such technology into something that works the way we’re used to our computers working.
Still, the very fact that researchers were able to pull off a calculation at such speeds shows just how big of an impact molecular calculations could have on the science of computing.[/release]
[url=http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2010-05/single-molecule-computes-thousands-times-faster-your-pc]sauce[/url]
The question lingers though; Can It Run Crysis?
I swear there's a crysis joke every time a thread on quantum computing pops up.
This is win!
obv fake cuz my computer has laods of molecules
[QUOTE=Ishmael12;21759404][img]http://www.popsci.com/files/imagecache/article_image_large/articles/iodine.jpg[/img]
[release]A demo of a quantum calculation carried out by Japanese researchers has yielded some pretty mind-blowing results: a single molecule can perform a complex calculation thousands of times faster than a conventional computer.
A proof-of-principle test run of a discrete Fourier transform -- a common calculation using spectral analysis and data compression, among other things -- performed with a single iodine molecule transpired very well, putting all the molecules in your PC to shame.
Using quantum interference – the vibrations of the atoms themselves – the team was able to run the complete discrete Fourier transform extremely quickly by encoding the inputs into an optically tailored vibrational wave packet which is then run through an excited iodine molecule whose atomic elements are oscillating at known intervals and picked up by a receiver on the other side. The entire process takes just a few tens of femtoseconds (that’s a quadrillionth of a second). So we’re not just talking faster data flow or processing here; these are speeds that are physically impossible on any kind of conventional electronic device.
But don’t trade in your conventional computing power just yet. Like other quantum information platforms, molecular computing is in its infancy; we understand some of its mechanisms, but it’s difficult to execute and there are still a lot of unknowns. Further, researchers aren’t quite sure how they could integrate such technology into something that works the way we’re used to our computers working.
Still, the very fact that researchers were able to pull off a calculation at such speeds shows just how big of an impact molecular calculations could have on the science of computing.[/release]
[url=http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2010-05/single-molecule-computes-thousands-times-faster-your-pc]sauce[/url]
The question lingers though; Can It Run Crysis?[/QUOTE]
yes, it says thousands of times better than your pc.
Someday...
Someday.
i overclocked it and broke the quantum universe
Imagine the leap in real-time computer graphics if this was integrated successfully with our GPUs. Fucking shit, games would become limitless.
How can it run Crysis when it doesn't have a graphics card.
[QUOTE=markg06;21760024]How can it run Crysis when it doesn't have a graphics card.[/QUOTE]
First off, i DID write GPU. Second, a CPU could render graphics aswell. a GPU is basically a CPU dedicated purely to rendering images.
But ain't computers made of molecules? :downs:
Wow, I remember when they said it would be years before quantum computers reach the computing power of current PCs.
Quantum CPU's aye?
Get to work Science, I want to be running multiple instances of today games on a cellphone within 15 years.
It will probably take a long time before we get CPUs consisting of only those molecules since apparently they don't work like conventional CPUs.
I imagine conventional CPUs will use such quantum CPUs as co-processors for complex calculations made for those kinds of quantum CPUs, like shaders are specifically programmed for GPUs.
[QUOTE=Robber;21760418]It will probably take a long time before we get CPUs consisting of only those molecules since apparently they don't work like conventional CPUs.
I imagine conventional CPUs will use such quantum CPUs as co-processors for complex calculations made for those kinds of quantum CPUs, like shaders are specifically programmed for GPUs.[/QUOTE]
This is what I was thinking, having a small Quantum CPU piggie-back on more conventional CPUs but this would still increase performance drastically.
We're talking 100%'s more powerful
This does not compute.
But can it run Crysis?
[QUOTE=evilweazel;21760537]But can it run Crysis?[/QUOTE]
No.
I hope I'm still alive to see this happen.
Once we actually get these, surely it'll be ages before they're actually reliable and cheap enough for civilian use.
Oh well. Science marches on.
Whatever happened to using photonics in computing?
Windows Quantum :v:
The whole idea of quantum computing blows my mind. The future looks very good indeed.
Shit, that's insane! I hope I can see affordable quantum computers within my lifetime.
This is awesome. I hope it isn't forgotten and thrown out like many other great ideas.
[QUOTE=Technopath;21760858]Windows Quantum :v:[/QUOTE]
For once it will be a product that actually uses Quantum Physics and doesn't just use it as a surrogate for "magic".
[img]http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/Images/ExternalImages/ProductsDetailed/48/112348.jpg[/img]
[img]http://store.chopra.com/images/products/largeimages/Quantum_Healing.jpg[/img]
[img]http://shamanrawb.com/blog/uploaded_images/Lightstream-Overview-Page-765257.jpg[/img]
And other assorted fruitloopery ...
I'm a level 7 vibrating dumbass
"My shit can run Crysis better" gets a literal meaning
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