Taiwanese researchers develop world's 'smallest' quantum computer

Researchers in Taiwan claimed to have developed the world's smallest quantum computer, marking the first use of a single photon to execute quantum algorithms.

The team of researchers led by Professor Chuu Chih-sung at Taiwan's National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) have demonstrated the box-sized computer's ability, Focus Taiwan reported on Thursday.

Chuu explained that his team's exceptionally small quantum computer encodes information into "32 time-bins or dimensions" within the wave packet of a single high-dimensional photon, a fundamental particle in electromagnetic interactions.

Photons not only maintain stable quantum states at room temperature, reducing energy costs compared to quantum computers requiring cooling, but also enable long-distance information transmission with minimal interference, providing significant advantages for commercial applications, he added.

Chuu's colleague Mou Chung-yu, director of NTHU's College of Science, said the photonic quantum computing will "eventually be applied across various fields, including drug development, logistics optimization, data security, and artificial intelligence."

Taiwan, an island nation of around 24 million people, is a lead manufacturer of high-tech items including computers and semiconductor items.

The island nation also ranks first across Asia in internet freedom.