Wits students build a light speed quantum computer emulator [Video]

• A team of physicists at Wits University have constructed an optical computer that uses light to complete calculations at quantum computer speeds.
• The computer was built using lasers, digital displays and lenses.
• The research may help to make the power of quantum computing more accessible to people in developing nations.

Quantum computing is the next step in computing, but it has its limitations thanks to physics. Now physicists at Wits University have harnessed the power of light for quantum computing emulation.

The team used the university’s Structured Light Lab and a few ordinary components to build a an optical computer that is analogous to a quantum computer. The computer was built using laser beams, digital displays and lenses.

“Traditional computers work like switchboards, processing information as simple yes or no decisions. Our approach uses laser beams to process multiple possibilities simultaneously, dramatically increasing computing power,” says Dr Isaac Nape, the Optica Emerging Leader Chair in Optics at Wits.

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