In the race to build a workable quantum computer — a dream at the intersection of advanced physics and computer science since the 1980s — the finish line may be in sight.
A spate of recent technical breakthroughs means that leading tech companies are vying to become the first to expand what until now have been a series of lab experiments into full-size, workable systems.
In June, IBM became the latest to claim its path was now clear to a full scale machine, after publishing a blueprint for a quantum computer that filled in key missing pieces from its earlier designs. Quantum computers hold the potential to solve problems beyond today’s machines in fields such as materials science and AI.