This European country wants to build the most powerful quantum computer in the world. Millions have been invested.
Quantum computers offer the promise of performing calculations that would take millions of years for current systems, and could lead to discoveries in medicine, chemistry, and many other fields where the nearly endless sea of possible combinations of molecules makes it difficult for classical computers to perform.
As reported by Reuters, the Novo Nordisk Foundation, the non-profit organization that controls pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk, and the Danish Export and Investment Fund (EIFO) announced in a statement that they will invest €80 million in the QuNorth initiative.
Microsoft, which has the largest quantum laboratory in Denmark, will provide the software, and Atom Computing will build the quantum computer .
The computer will be named Magne, inspired by Norse mythology, in which Magne, son of Thor, is renowned for his immense strength. Construction will begin this fall, and the computer is expected to be ready by the end of next year.
"The quantum computer will start with 50 logical qubits," Jason Zander, executive vice president of Microsoft, told Reuters.
A qubit, short for quantum bit, is the basic unit of information in a quantum computer, and a logical qubit is a virtual qubit constructed from multiple physical qubits to reliably process quantum information.
Tech giants are developing quantum technologyLast November, Microsoft and Atom created 24 logical qubits – the largest number ever created .
"Once we get to about 50 logical qubits, that's when we start to achieve true quantum advantage," Zander said. "I'm getting to the point where I can run something on a quantum computer that I couldn't run on a classical computer," he added.
"Once the machine reaches 100 (logical qubits), we can start solving science problems, we can get to a few hundred, we can start doing chemistry and finding answers, and when we get to 1,000, we solve everything," Zander said.
Quantum computers also operate in PolandQuantum technology is also a subject of interest for Polish authorities. In June of this year, the Ministry of Digital Affairs announced that Poland had launched a quantum computer based on trapped ion technology – PIAST-Q.
The new computer has already been installed at the Poznań Supercomputing and Networking Center (PSNC). It will support research on quantum optimization, materials science, chemistry, and machine learning.
The EuroQCS-Poland computer is a digital quantum computer based on trapped ions, offering over 20 physical qubits.
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