Microsoft is launching a free preview version of the Quantum Development Kit, which includes the Q# programming language, a quantum computing simulator and other resources for people who want to start programming applications for a quantum computer. The Q# programming language was built specifically for quantum computing.
The company is also making available a comprehensive set of documentation, libraries and sample programs, along with the kit. Thus, users will have the background they need to start playing with special aspects of computing for quantum systems, such as quantum teleportation. This is a safe method of sharing information in quantum computing bits, or qubits, that are connected by a quantum state, called entanglement.
"The idea is that you play with something like teleportation and be intrigued," said Krysta Svore, principal researcher at Microsoft, who led the development of the quantum software and simulator.
From artificial intelligence to climate change
Experts believe that quantum computers will allow scientists to tackle some of the world's toughest challenges, such as hunger or the dangerous effects of climate change. This will be in part because quantum computers will be able to perform calculations in hours or even minutes that, in some cases, would take the life of the universe on the most advanced classic computers in use today. Quantum computers are also expected to help spur major advances in fields such as artificial intelligence (AI).
The Quantum Development Kit is part of Microsoft's plan to build a robust quantum computing system that includes everything from quantum computing hardware to the complete software stack. The company's researchers are also working on projects focused on cryptography and security in a quantum computing world.
Microsoft's approach is centered on the development of a topological qubit, a more robust type of qubit, which Microsoft experts believe will provide a better basis for practical and scalable quantum computing.
A major challenge in quantum computing is that qubits are extremely thin. They need to be stored at very low temperatures, for example, or they can be disturbed and destroyed.
Because of the thickness, most approaches to building qubits need many bugfixes or techniques to ensure that information is delivered reliably. With a topological qubit, error correction is built directly into the physics of the qubit itself. This makes it easier to scale and deliver reliable results, in addition to making calculations that have orders of magnitude greater than what is possible on a classic computer, with fewer qubits than other quantum systems.
Not to mention that quantum physics is extremely complex, and even some of the smartest people in the world confess that quantum computing is difficult to understand.
Todd Holmdahl, corporate vice president in charge of Microsoft's quantum effort, noted that it is up to Microsoft to discover quantum physics - and then deliver tools like the Quantum Development Kit for people with no knowledge of quantum physics to use. The hope is that these tools will make the power of quantum computing accessible to many other people.
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