Lockheed Martin has become the first company to commercialise quantum computing, and to use it in the business.
A report in the New York Times reveals that the US-based military contractor will be putting technology it acquired from D-Wave Systems to work in a commercial capacity.
If it works – and the jury is still out on whether Lockheed Martin and D-Wave have managed to solve all the problems associated with quantum computing – it could speed computing by a factor of millions.
The computer would be used to create and test complex radar, space and aircraft systems, the New York Times reports.
Quantum computing uses qubits instead of the regular bits that are employed in traditional computers. A bit can have only one of two values: “1″ or “0″. Qubits, however, can hold a value of “1” or “0” as well as both values at the same time. Described as superposition, this is what allows quantum computers to perform millions of calculations at once.
If it works – and the jury is still out on whether Lockheed Martin and D-Wave have managed to solve all the problems associated with quantum computing – it could speed computing by a factor of millions.
The computer would be used to create and test complex radar, space and aircraft systems, the New York Times reports.
Quantum computing uses qubits instead of the regular bits that are employed in traditional computers. A bit can have only one of two values: “1″ or “0″. Qubits, however, can hold a value of “1” or “0” as well as both values at the same time. Described as superposition, this is what allows quantum computers to perform millions of calculations at once.