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IBM is making available quantum computing to the public, allowing people to access and run experiments on IBM’s quantum processor.
Scientists at the company have manufactured quantum processor that can be accessed via a quantum computing platform delivered through the IBM Cloud onto any desktop or mobile device.
The cloud-enabled quantum computing platform, called IBM Quantum Experience, facilitates the running of algorithms and experiments on IBM’s quantum processor and users can work with the individual quantum bits (qubits) while going through tutorials and simulations related to the strengths of quantum computing.
The quantum processor comprises five superconducting qubits and is based at the IBM T.J. Watson Research Center in New York.
The five-qubit processor represents the latest advancement in IBM’s quantum architecture that can scale to larger quantum systems. The processor is also reportedly the foremost approach towards manufacturing a universal quantum computer.
A universal quantum computer can be programmed to perform any computing task and will be exponentially faster than classical computers for a number of important applications for science and business.
Though this kind of computer is not present today, IBM foresees the presence of medium-sized quantum processors of 50-100 qubits in the next 10 years. A 50-qubit quantum computer will surpass a TOP500 supercomputer by a long way.
