Scientists Solved an 'Impossible' Quantum Puzzle With a Personal Computer

Efforts to advance quantum computing are also raising the bar for classical computing – showing that these conventional workhorses aren't done yet. A specially tweaked classical computer system has just solved a physics problem so complex it was thought to be impossible without a quantum computer . The problem is the simulation of what are called spin glasses , a state of matter where tiny atomic-level magnets are chaotically positioned.

Scientists Solved an 'Impossible' Quantum Puzzle With a Personal Computer. Efforts to advance quantum computing are also raising the bar for classical computing – showing that these conventional workhorses aren't done yet. A specially tweaked classical computer system has just solved a physics problem so complex it was thought to be impossible without a quantum computer . The problem is the simulation of what are called spin glasses , a state of matter where tiny atomic-level magnets are chaotically positioned. Spin glasses are also quantum in nature – existing in a state of superposition , a blurry combination of possible alignments. Last year, researchers modeled a quantum spin glass system using the D-Wave Advantage2 quantum computer. An impressive feat, and one that could only be done by a quantum system, it was claimed at the time. T...