\n On Wednesday, IBM revealed its new experimental Loon processor and Nighthawk quantum computing chip, which can perform more complex computations than its predecessor. The past two years have seen quantum-related announcements from Google<\/a>, Microsoft and other tech companies.\n <\/p>\n \n Quantum computing could potentially lead to a $1.3 trillion increase in value across certain industries by 2035, according to McKinsey & Company<\/a>, and for good reason. Experts believe quantum computing could lead to breakthroughs in fields like cryptography, finance, science and transportation, and IBM says<\/a> the technology could solve some problems in minutes or hours that would typically take non-quantum standard computers thousands of years.\n <\/p>\n \n But there\u2019s a long road ahead. Cracking quantum computing isn\u2019t a matter of upgrading existing computers. It\u2019s an entirely separate approach to computing that relies on the principles of quantum physics.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cA fighter jet is not a faster Ferrari because it has wings,\u201d said Sridhar Tayur, a professor with Carnegie Mellon University\u2019s Tepper School of Business. \u201cQuantum computing is not just a faster classical computer, because it works on a different principle.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n Computers store and process information using a language made up of zeros and ones, also known as \u201cbits.\u201d But quantum computing uses \u201cquantum bits,\u201d also known as \u201cqubits.\u201d Instead of being either zero or one, qubits can behave like zero or one simultaneously and exist in states between zero and one, allowing them to process information much more quickly.\n <\/p>\n \n Picture it as a flipping coin, as CNN\u2019s Anna Stewart explained<\/a>. Bits are the coin when it lands on heads or tails, while qubits are the coin as it\u2019s spinning between heads and tails, or if the coin could represent heads and tails at the same time.\n <\/p>\n \n But don\u2019t expect quantum computers to replace your laptop or smartphone. Instead, these types of computers are ideal for solving big-picture problems involving chemistry and mathematics, making them potentially game-changing in areas such as health, environmental studies, finance, materials science and cryptography.\n <\/p>\n \n BMW Group and Airbus, for example, are working with quantum computing startup Quantinuum to research how the technology could be used in the development of fuel cells. Meanwhile, Accenture Labs, biotechnology firm Biogen and quantum computing company 1QBit are collaborating on research<\/a> related to drug discovery. Quantum computers can compare molecules that are much larger than the ones classical computers can compute, Accenture said on its website.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cThe big hope is that a quantum computer can simulate any sort of chemical or biological experiment you would do in the lab,\u201d said Anand Natarajan, an associate professor of electrical engineering and computer sciences at MIT.\n <\/p>\n \n Quantum computing could be hugely influential when it comes to cryptography and cybersecurity since it can be used to break codes used to protect data, said Natarajan.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cSo that\u2019s also a major motivation, to make sure that our adversaries cannot do it and that we have this capability,\u201d he said.\n <\/p>\n \n The Wall Street Journal<\/a> reported in October that a handful of quantum computing companies were discussing potential deals with the Commerce Department that would provide federal funding in exchange for an equity stake.\n <\/p>\n \n When asked for comment, a Commerce Department spokesperson told CNN that it \u201cis not currently negotiating equity stakes with quantum computing companies.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n But the industry has a wave of challenges to overcome before quantum computing can solve modern dilemmas. For example, qubits are extremely fragile, making them very susceptible to external factors like changes in temperature or light.\n <\/p>\n \n IBM\u2019s new experimental Loon processor attempts to address this hurdle by demonstrating that the components exist to build a fault-tolerant quantum computer at scale that can function effectively even when errors are present. It\u2019s an important step because errors are inevitable given qubits are so susceptible to interference.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cIf I just vibrate a table, I\u2019ll kill our quantum computers. If a little bit of light gets in there, it can hurt it,\u201d said Jay Gambetta, director of research at IBM.\n <\/p>\n \n IBM\u2019s new Nighthawk chip, meanwhile, can run more complicated \u201cgates,\u201d according to Gambetta. Gates are the \u201cbuilding blocks\u201d quantum computers use to process information, as the National Institute of Standards and Technology<\/a> describes it.\n <\/p>\n \n IBM is just one contender in the quantum computing race. Microsoft in February introduced its Majorana 1 quantum computing chip<\/a>. That chip contains a special material the company says can create a new state of matter capable of producing more stable qubits. Google in December unveiled its Willow quantum computing chip<\/a> that it says reduces errors as more qubits are used and can do in five minutes what would take a classical computer 10 septillion years.\n <\/p>\n \n The jury is still out on exactly when quantum computing will live up to its potential.\n <\/p>\n![\"Google](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/2024-12-09t160126z-1879953793-rc2lcbagbxsy-rtrmadp-3-alphabet-quantum.JPG\")
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