Researchers at the University of Oxford say they've achieved quantum teleportation stitching together separate quantum computers to run an algorithm collaboratively, across a distance, in a "breakthrough" they say could lead to powerful quantum supercomputers.The scientists linked two quantum processors that were six and a half feet apart using a "photonic network interface," as detailed in a paper published last week in the journal Nature.The team, led by Oxford University Physics graduate student Dougal Main, hopes the achievement will lay the groundwork for a "quantum internet" of distributed ultra-secure processors.It's not technically the first time scientists have demonstrated quantum teleportation. Previous research has shown that the states of quantum bits known as qubits the equivalent of a conventional computer's bits,except they can be superimposed and entangled can be transferred across physically separated systems."In our study, we use quantum teleportation tocreate interactions between these distant systems," said Main in a statement. "By carefully tailoring these interactions, we can perform logical quantum gates the fundamental operations of quantum computing between qubits housed in separate quantum computers.""This breakthrough enables us to effectively 'wire together' distinct quantum processors into a single, fully connected quantum computer," he explained, essentially the equivalent of linking traditional computers to create a supercomputer.Main and his team are hopeful that by using light to transmit data instead of electrical signals, they can overcome engineering obstacles involved in creating large quantum computers. Broadly speaking, the more qubits a quantum computer has, the more difficult it is to keep them in a stable state and reduce external noise."By interconnecting the modules using photonic links, the system gains valuable flexibility, allowing modules to be upgraded or swapped out without disrupting the entire architecture," Main explained."Our experiment demonstrates that network-distributed quantum information processing is feasible with current technology," principal investigator and Oxford physics professor David Lucas added.But before quantum computers, let alone quantum supercomputers, can become a commonly used piece of equipment, researchers still have formidable hurdles to overcome."Scaling up quantum computers remains a formidable technical challenge that will likely require new physics insights as well as intensive engineering effort over the coming years," Lucas explained.Beyond the technical limitations of building bigger quantum computers, scientists are still struggling to turn them into actually useful tools that solve functional calculations.Nonetheless, researchers are hopeful that quantum computing systems could one day run calculations in just hours that today's supercomputers would take years to solve.More on quantum mechanics: Physicists Find That the Universe Could "Collapse Like a House of Cards"Share This Article