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4 months ago in Quantum Computing By Shreya K
Does a fully working, practical quantum computer exist today?
My committee keeps pressing me to ground my algorithm simulations in the reality of current hardware. I understand the difference between theoretical qubits and fault-tolerant machines, but the hype cycle makes it difficult to discern what actually exists in a lab today versus what's still on the whiteboard. I need an honest, practitioner-level snapshot.
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By Pranav Answered 2 months ago
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By AnthonyEngix Answered 2 months ago
I appreciate you cutting through the noise. The honest answer is no not if we define "practical" as reliably solving useful problems faster or cheaper than a classical supercomputer. What we have today are impressive, but fundamentally limited, NISQ devices. I have seen 50-100 qubit processors perform specific, contrived sampling tasks that classical computers struggle with that's quantum supremacy. But these machines cannot sustain long coherence times or correct their inherent errors. I would recommend framing your work around what these noisy devices might soon do for quantum chemistry or optimization, while acknowledging fault-tolerance is still years away.
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