The British Ministry of Defense started using quantum computers in the ministry as a result of its cooperation with technology company Orca Bilişim. This is the first time this type of computer is used in the UK government.
The ministry aims to explore the possibilities of quantum technology in the country’s defense strategy.
Quantum computing technology is very different from the computers we use in our daily life. Theoretically, quantum computers that can be used in the future will be able to solve complex data and billions of combinations much faster that normal computers have difficulty deciphering and sometimes cannot decipher at all.
While units are expressed with 0 and 1 in the binary coding system in computers we use at home and at work, quantum computers work with a coding system known as qubits. In the qubit system, the computer can represent both values as well as taking the value 0 and 1. This process is called “superposition”.
Experts think that quantum technology could revolutionize many areas, but because today’s quantum computers are difficult to maintain and are few in number, this technology is not widely used yet.
The quantum computer developed by Orca, on the other hand, shows promise at this point.
The British Ministry of Defense will begin research with this PT-1 quantum computer developed by Orca, which can operate at room temperature and is smaller in size.
Stephen Till, who works at the Department’s Defense Science and Technology Laboratory, says it’s a “turning point.”
Orca Bilişim’s General Manager, Richard Murray, says, “This is the first time we are experiencing the application of this revolutionary new technology in this way, we can work with real computer hardware.”
‘**Optimization can be a solution to very important problems**’
BBC Technology Correspondent Zoe Kleinman says that quantum technology promises to solve big problems that today’s computers cannot solve. Kleinman cites the climate crisis and health innovations as examples.
Professor Winfried Hensinger, Head of the Sussex Center for Quantum Technologies at the University of Sussex, says it will take a long time to realize the potential of quantum technology.
“Quantum computers can’t solve real problems yet. For now, we’re just exploring what it might be like to work on a full-size, real quantum computer,” says Hensinger.
On the other hand, Hensinger emphasizes that the Ministry of Defense’s investments and research in the field of quantum are important.
“As you can imagine, the optimization that can be achieved with quantum technology in the defense field can be a solution to very important problems,” Hensinger says.