Image Credits: IBM

The invention of computers was the turning point in the history of humanity. The transformations that computers have led could only have been imagined, even if so.

Today, computers are everywhere - on our desktops, in our pockets and now even on our wrists. They have become exceptionally more powerful and smaller compared to their earlier versions which used to be as large as entire buildings.

Today we cannot imagine most of the work we do without computers. From space exploration to the finance world, record keeping to gaming, everything depends on the immense amount of computing power. But we are fast approaching the limitations of the current computing technology.

Therefore, scientists and engineers have been hard at work trying to make commercial quantum computers a reality and a recent unveiling by IBM could be a step in that direction.

Quantum Computers - Future of Computing?

Classical computers (the ones in use currently) perform calculations using bits of information i.e. 0 and 1 and it can be in only one state at a time - either 0 or 1. Quantum computers on the other hand, use qubits to process information which can achieve both the states at the same time, which makes them faster.

Also, the transistors in classical computers have gotten really small (upto 7 nanometer now). This cannot go on forever because when things become as small as the atomic scale, there are different laws of physics at play where classical computers wouldn't be able to function.

That is not a problem for a quantum computer though and given that a quantum computer is faster than a classical computer of the same size, the fascination for them is easily understood.

Top tech companies are investing heavily to develope commercial quantum computers to be used by people other than just scientists. D-wave systems and IBM seem to be leading in that regards.

Just recently, IBM unveiled their Q System One 20-qubit quantum computing system which isn't exactly for sale but rather available remotely for engineers and researchers to make use of. It isn't really a powerhouse but IBM believes that it could be the start of an era of commercial quantum computers.