Most researchers have never seen a quantum computer. Winfried Hensinger has five. “They’re all terrible,” he says. “They can’t do anything useful.”
In fact, all quantum computers could be described as terrible. Decades of research have yet to yield a machine that can kick off the promised revolution in computing. But enthusiasts aren’t concerned —and development is proceeding better than expected, researchers say.
“I’m not trying to take away from how much work there is to do, but we’re surprising ourselves about how much we’ve done,” says Jeannette Garcia, senior research manager for quantum applications and software at technology giant IBM in San Jose, California.
To read more, click here.