Photonic Quantum Computer Sets a Speed Record ⚡ экспресс
Scientists have unveiled Jiuzhang 4.0, a photonic quantum processor that uses 1,024 squeezed states of light and 8,176 optical modes to perform Gaussian boson sampling — a complex task of simulating random events with quantum particles. Even accounting for inevitable photon losses, the setup detected up to 3,050 events and completed the task in 25.6 microseconds. For the classical supercomputer El Capitan running the best algorithm, it would take more than 10^42 years — a number with 42 zeros, vastly exceeding the age of the universe. This isn't just a record; it's a demonstration of insurmountable quantum supremacy, paving the way toward fault-tolerant quantum computing.
A classic Galton board with pegs and balls generates a pattern from randomness. In the quantum version—Jiuzhang 4.0—balls are replaced by photons. They travel through a maze of 8,176 waveguide paths, and photometry (precise flash counting) records the final pattern. The chip itself is cooled below interstellar temperatures to suppress thermal noise.
According to the Standard Model, each particle of light takes all paths at once—like a ball instantly smeared across the entire board. A regular supercomputer would have to check more possibilities than there are atoms in the universe, taking 10^42 years. Jiuzhang delivers the answer in 25.6 microseconds. Engineers used "squeezed" light to eliminate noise, and randomness turned into computational power—just as entropy, which usually brings disorder, here generates order. The term “quantum supremacy” was coined by [scientist:John Preskill]. This step brings closer photonic computers capable of designing drug molecules.
🎯 If the El Capitan supercomputer had started crunching numbers at the Big Bang, by now it wouldn't have completed even a fraction of what Jiuzhang 4.0 does in 25 microseconds.
🎬 Instant computation, like in "Star Trek", but in a real lab chip.