Today IBM inaugurated a new quantum computing center in Ehningen. In an interview with SWR, Prof. Tilman Pfau, a quantum physicist at the 5th Institute of Physics at the University of Stuttgart, explained what a quantum computer can do and for which applications it is suitable for. A quantum computer has an advantage when it comes to particularly complex and computationally intensive problems and calculations where conventional computers fail. Although there are currently few quantum computers that can outperform classical computers, there is great hope that quantum computers will be able to overtake classical computers in the future. Large companies are hoping for progress, particularly in applications such as materials science or pharmaceuticals. For example, quantum computers could be used to predict and optimize material properties or the effect of drugs. It remains to be seen which quantum computer platform will ultimately be suitable for which application, or which will prevail. The IBM quantum computer, for example, uses superconducting qubits, while the research group at Tilman Pfau's institute is building a Rydberg quantum computer based on neutral atoms.
Listen to the full interview in German (5:12) here.
Visit 'The Quantum Länd': Rydberg Quantum Computers made in Stuttgart
