Jiuzhang 4.0, China's Quantum Computer Breaks Speed Record

Some of the Jiuzhang 4.0 quantum computing devices developed by Chinese scientists. (Zhou Mu - Xinhua - China Daily)

JAKARTA - Chinese scientists have developed the world's fastest quantum computer prototype called Jiuzhang 4.0. Citing a report by China Daily, Friday, May 15, this machine is able to solve complex mathematical problems in just 25 microseconds.

A microsecond is a millionth of a second. For the same problem, the US-made supercomputer El Capitan is said to take more than 10 to the 42nd power years, according to the report.

The findings of the Chinese team of scientists were published in the journal Nature on Wednesday. These results show China's great progress in the competition for quantum computing technology.

Quantum computers are different from ordinary computers. Ordinary computers use bits, which are 0 or 1. Quantum computers use qubits or quantum bits, which can be in both 0 and 1 states simultaneously.

This ability makes quantum computers able to calculate many possibilities at once. Therefore, this machine is very fast for certain tasks, such as solving complex mathematical problems and simulating quantum systems.

Jiuzhang 4.0 uses photonic technology. This means that information is processed using photons, which are light particles. Its speed depends on the ability to regulate and control photons.

The problem is, photons easily get lost as optical networks get bigger and more complicated. If that happens, the computing ability can decrease and the risk of error increases.

To overcome this problem, a team from the University of Science and Technology of China developed a new light source and a space-time hybrid interferometer system. This system helps photons interact in the space and time dimensions without making the device too large.

The team integrated 1,024 optical fields into a circuit with 8,176 modes. The light source efficiency reached 92 percent, while the overall system efficiency reached 51 percent.

As a result, Jiuzhang 4.0 is able to manipulate and detect up to 3,050 photons. This is a big leap from Jiuzhang 3.0 in 2023 which reached 255 photons.

China began recording important achievements in quantum computing since 2020. At that time, scientists from the University of Science and Technology of China developed a Jiuzhang prototype with 76 photons.

The achievement makes China the second country in the world to achieve quantum computing superiority, and the first to achieve it through an optical system.

Quantum technology is now included in China's 15th Five-Year Plan for the period 2026-2030. Beijing has positioned it as a future industry and a strategic field that must continue to be strengthened, including for the development of quantum computers that are more error-resistant and can be used on a wider scale.