翻译 How Quantum Computers Work
量子计算机是如何工作的?
本文翻译自 http://computer.howstuffworks.com/quantum-computer.htm
The massive amount of processing power generated by computer manufacturers has not yet been able to quench our thirst for speed and computing capacity. In 1947, American computer engineer Howard Aikensaid that just six electronic digital computers would satisfy the computing needs of the United States. Others have made similar errant predictions about the amount of computing power that would support our growing technological needs. Of course, Aiken didn't count on the large amounts of data generated by scientific research, the proliferation of personal computers or the emergence of the Internet, which have only fueled our need for more, more and more computing power.
由计算机制造商带来的巨大的处理能力并没有让我们对速度和计算能力的渴望停止。1947年,美国的计算机工程师Howard Aiken曾说过仅仅六台电子数字计算机就能够满足整个美国的需要。其他人有过类似的仅几台计算机就能满足日益增长的科学技术的需要的偏离实际的看法。当然,Aiken的估计没有考虑到由科学研究产生的巨量数据、个人计算机的剧增或是因特网的出现——这些的出现让我们需要更多,更多,更多的计算能力。
Will we ever have the amount of computing power we need or want? If, asMoore's Law states, the number of transistors on a microprocessor continues to double every 18 months, the year 2020 or 2030 will find the circuits on a microprocessor measured on an atomic scale. And the logical next step will be to create quantum computers, which will harness the power of atoms and molecules to perform memory and processing tasks. Quantum computers have the potential to perform certain calculations significantly faster than any silicon-based computer.
我们能够永远得到我们需要或想要的计算能力吗?如果像摩尔定律所说的那样,微处理器的晶体管数目每18个月翻一番,到2020年或2030年微处理器上的电路将会达到原子大小,所以合乎逻辑的下一步将是制造利用原子和分子的力量实现存储和计算的量子计算机。量子计算机有比基于硅的传统计算机在计算能力方面强得多的潜力。
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