A Future With Quantum

As the quantum world continues to expand and advance, it seems that more and more people are catching onto quantum computing. Just this fall, IBM had released their quantum roadmap for the next couple of years, with plans of having 1,121 qubits by the year of 2023. However, it is estimated that quantum computers will not see widespread use for at least a decade. So, what happens to quantum during this decade?

Quantum computers will not just be under development, but also in use across the next decade. Our current quantum computers can still be used for specific cases, and some companies have already begun working with other companies heavily involved in quantum computing to help solve their specific cases. For example, IBM has already cooperated with many companies to utilize quantum computing right now.

For example, one company that IBM has worked with is Mitsubishi Chemical. Due to the nature of quantum computers, they are much better at analyzing complex molecular structures compared to classical computers. IBM and Mitsubishi chemical are making use of this advantage that quantum computers have in order analyze the chemical reactions in lithium oxygen batteries. Some chemical reactions in lithium oxygen batteries damage the overall health of the battery, so the two companies have teamed up to use quantum computing in order to develop a more efficient battery.

IBM has also worked with other companies like Exxon, and Daimler to utilize quantum computing in the improvement of some of our current technology. With more and more companies dipping their toes into the quantum industry, the usage of quantum computers within specific use cases will certainly grow larger and larger until the widespread use of quantum computers. It feels like even if it doesn’t continue to grow as expected, quantum computing is still usable today, and is definitely here to stay.