Microsoft has been chasing the quantum computing dream since 2006 when it opened up Station Q research group at the University of California. Since then, the company has been funding projects that aim to crack the quantum computing nut.
So far, no single entity has been able to significantly capitalize on quantum computing and the race continues for this complex pipe dream. Microsoft, who has a massive research and development department, is looking to boost its research into this field with key hires including Douglas Carmean, who previously worked at Intel.
Carmean led the design of multiple Intel processors and will be joining Microsoft to help tackle the toughest challenges in the computing world. The benefits of creating a quantum computer is that it will be significantly more powerful than modern PC designs and any company who can make the breakthrough will not only be rewarded financially but will also have a leg up in software development too.
Microsoft's approach to quantum computing is based on "topological quantum computing" which is the ability to control the motions of pairs of subatomic particles as they wind around one another. It's a topic that requires you to put down what you know about computers and begin to understand what happens at the atom level, to grasp what scientists are trying to do.
You can check out the full report on Microsoft's quantum efforts at the source link below.
Source: Nytimes | image via Satya Nadella
8 Comments - Add comment