Photonic Quantum Computers, the Logical Choice.
Most other quantum technologies are pushing to photonic qubits. Why not computers?
I suspect that out of all the qubit modalities, photonic has the lowest barrier to entry for maintenance technicians as the vast majority of the work I see is done on fiber optic cables. Work that is already done all around the world in classical data centers of all sizes, and possibly even your own back yard to bring you fiber optic internet.
Why Photonic Quantum Computers will be the first to escape
I’m not going to pretend that photonic quantum computers are the best , I’m just going to note that not only are they the ones that are easiest to maintain, they are definitely the ones that make the most sense. I think it’s too early to make the call on what ones best, and for a while they will coexist in their own niches until one is a clear winner.
If this prediction is true, someone had better write a blog post entitled “For years all the modalities lived together in harmony, until the_____ nation attacked”, where you fill in the blank with the predominant modality’s name.
That said, here’s the reasons I think it’s going to be the photon nation attacking.
The Unique Strengths of Photons
Look around you, photons are everywhere. Literally. They aren’t a unique phase of matter. They just are. Yes, they need some coaxing to do what you need them to do for quantum computers, but hey.
That coaxing? They exist in multiple quantum states just naturally. Do you want a horizontal photon? Circular? Perhaps you prefer looking at the energy, or the path. I believe I have a paper with eight unique ways of encoding quantum information on a single photon. So yes, it does take coaxing. But it’s relatively insignificant compared to other types of qubits.
Another great thing is that photons don’t like to interact with the environment, once you have the data encoded, it’s there and it’s flying somewhere, get your sensors in the way.
The Challenges of Building a Photonic Quantum Computer
I’m not saying that it’s easy to build a photonic quantum computer, there are definitely massive difficulties and this includes the fact that photons don’t like to interact with their environment. They are difficult to entangle.
There’s also difficulty in generating them, at least in low quantities and at high enough quality to make it useful for consistent computation.
Why Photons Are Winning in Other Fields
But all this really does is cements photons as an attractive option for quantum sensing, communication and other areas of quantum research.
The mobile nature means we can pipe them large distances for communications or just short distances to keep the bulk of the sensor out of a dangerous area. It’s also really easy to tell if your sensors are working because some of them just kinda glow.
And imagine having a signal that’s easily corrupted. It’s not a great idea for high sensitivity sensing or essential communication.
I believe that quantum sensors and quantum communications tied directly into quantum computers are inevitable.
That’s part of what I’m doing with QuicklyQuantum, go check us out!