MIT developing scalable quantum computer based on five atoms that could end RSA encryption

Computer scientists from MIT and the University of Innsbruck in Austria have developed the first ever five-atom quantum computer, which could one day factor any number and enable it to easily break RSA encryption.

Computers today are coded using traditional bits, which is the small unit of data that usually has a single binary value of 0 or 1. When put together, the bits create code words like 00, 01, 10 or 11 that can be used to program the computer to perform specific commands.

However, in quantum computing, bits can be in superposition known as "qubits", so they can have the value of 1 and 0 at the same time, so code words could be much wider, for example code words like 00+11, 00-11, 01+10 or 01-10.

It typically takes around 12 qubits to factor the number 15, but researchers from MIT and the University of Innsbruck have managed to factor the same number in just five qubits with a quantum computer made from five single atoms, that each represent a single qubit.

Read more @ http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/mit-developing-scalable-quantum-computer-based-five-atoms-that-could-end-rsa-encryption-1548079?utm_source=fark&utm_medium=website&utm_content=link


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