一種可以彌合經典計算和量子計算之間鴻溝的新芯片

一種可以彌合經典計算和量子計算之間鴻溝的新芯片

Quantum computers exist today, although they're limited, cut-down versions of what we hope fully blown quantum computers are going to be able to do in the future.

量子計算機今天已經存在，盡管它們是有限的，我們希望完全成熟的量子計算機在未來能夠做的事情的精簡版本。

But now, researchers have developed hardware for a 'probabilistic computer' – a device that might be able to bridge the gap between genuine quantum computers and the standard PCs and Macs we have today.

但現在，研究人員已經為“概率計算機”開發(fā)了硬件，這種設備可能能夠彌合真正的量子計算機與我們現在擁有的標準PC和Mac之間的差距。

The special trick that a probabilistic computer can do is to solve quantum problems without actually going quantum, as it were. It does this using a p-bit, which the team behind this research describes as a "poor man's qubit".

概率計算機的特別之處在于，它可以解決量子問題，而不需要真正的量子。它使用p位來實現這一點，這項研究背后的團隊將其描述為“窮人的量子位”。

Whereas classical computing bits can store either a 1 or a 0, qubits can be both at the same time, thanks to the laws of quantum computing – and that means a big leap in processing power. A p-bit, meanwhile, can only be a 1 or a 0, but they can switch between those two states very, very quickly.

雖然經典的計算位可以存儲1或0，但由于量子計算定律，量子位可以同時存儲1或0，這意味著處理能力的巨大飛躍。與此同時，p位只能是1或0，但它們可以在這兩種狀態(tài)之間快速切換。

By carefully controlling these fluctuations, scientists can tackle calculations of a kind that are generally considered to be quantum computing problems, but without an actual quantum computer.

通過小心地控制這些波動，科學家可以解決通常被認為是量子計算問題的計算，但沒有實際的量子計算機。

As an added bonus, p-bits work at room temperature, whereas qubits need super-cold conditions to operate properly, so they're easier to adapt into existing computers.

額外的好處是，p位在室溫下工作，而量子位需要超冷的條件才能正常工作，所以它們更容易適應現有的計算機。

"There is a useful subset of problems solvable with qubits that can also be solved with p-bits," says electrical and computer engineer Supriyo Datta,from Purdue University in Indiana. "You might say that a p-bit is a 'poor man's qubit'."

印第安納州普渡大學的電氣和計算機工程師Supriyo Datta說:“量子位可以解決的問題中有一個有用的子集也可以用p位來解決。”“你可能會說p位是‘窮人的量子位’。”

This probabilistic computer and its p-bits represents some sort of middle ground between the two. The researchers suggest that fully realised p-bit machines would handle integer factorisation and similar problems using less space and energy than today's computers.

這個概率計算機和它的p位代表了兩者之間的某種中間地帶。研究人員認為，與今天的計算機相比，完全實現的p位計算機可以處理整數因子分解和類似的問題，占用的空間和能量更少。

This machine is going to have to be scaled up and refined further to be of practical use, but the researchers think those advancements might not be too far off. These devices can then take over from classical computers for certain problems, until the quantum computing revolution finally arrives.

這臺機器還需要進一步擴大和改進，才能真正投入使用，但研究人員認為，這些進步可能不會太遙遠。這些設備可以取代傳統計算機處理某些問題，直到量子計算革命最終到來。

Scientists are making progress, but there's still some way to go before qubits are stable and practical enough to actually run the sums we need them to run and to scale up properly. Making qubits and connecting them together remains a tough challenge.

科學家們正在取得進展，但要使量子位元足夠穩(wěn)定和實用，以實際運行我們所需要的和，并適當地擴大，還有很長的路要走。制造量子位元并將它們連接起來仍然是一個艱巨的挑戰(zhàn)。

The research has been published in Nature.

這項研究已發(fā)表在《自然》雜志上。