Wuyuan (quantum computer)

2023: Start of mass production

China has installed its first serial quantum computer that can be used to solve practical problems. This was announced at the end of January 2023 by the newspaper of the Ministry of Science of the PRC.

It is known that the system was delivered to an unnamed customer more than a year ago (as of February 8, 2023). We are talking about a 24-qubit complex called Wuyuan, which was developed by Origin Quantum. This firm was founded in 2017 by two physicists from the Scientific and Technical University of China (USTC). The system is made using superconducting qubit technology.

Wuyuan (quantum computer)

In an interview published on January 30, 2023 by Shanghai news site The Paper, Origin Quantum co-founder Guo Guoping said the technology will bring visible benefits to everyday life over three to five years. The unprecedented processing power of quantum technology is expected to change many areas. At the same time, Gopin did not specify for what purposes the delivered 24-qubit system is used. But it has been said that Origin Quantum is already designing a more powerful quantum computer called Wukong.

Quantum computers can act as accelerators. For example, solving a particular problem may require 10 traditional supercomputers that perform calculations within a month. If a quantum complex is added to such a computing group, the execution time can be reduced to three to seven days, "said Guo Goping.

It is also reported that, despite significant achievements in the field of quantum computers, Origin Quantum is still unprofitable. The company spends up to $30 million annually on research and development, and therefore we are simply not talking about making a profit. Origin Quantum could prove unprofitable well into the 2030s, Gopin said.^[1]

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