New “Trapped Ion” Algorithm Predicts Computational Power of Early Quantum Computers

(SciTechDaily) Quantum physicists at the University of Sussex have created an algorithm that speeds up the rate of calculations in the early quantum computers which are currently being developed.  They have created a new way to route the ions – or charged atoms – around the quantum computer to boost the efficiency of the calculations.  The Sussex team have shown how calculations in such a quantum computer can be done most efficiently, by using their new ‘routing algorithm.’ The team working on this project was led by Professor Winfried Hensinger and included Mark Webber, Dr. Steven Herbert, and Dr. Sebastian Weidt. The scientists have created a new algorithm that regulates traffic within the quantum computer just like managing traffic in a busy city. In the trapped ion design the qubits can be physically transported over long distances, so they can easily interact with other qubits. Their new algorithm means that data can flow through the quantum computer without any ‘traffic jams’. This in turn gives rise to a more powerful quantum computer.