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In 1947, the first transistor, the basic building block for a digital computer, was manufactured using a semi -conductor material that is believed to be ideal for the task: GERMANIUM. The idea of ​​using silicone did not appear until the middle of the next decade, and until 1960 was not added to a thin layer of oxidized silicone, found in the most used transistors today.

Quantum computing, great hope in solving problems is still far from the reach of computers today, is struggling to reach the moment of its silicone. Some of the largest technology companies began to increase their attempts to build a work machine, convinced that this field has recently passed the threshold between interesting scientific experience and practical engineering challenge.

However, there is no consensus on the best way to make the basic elements of quantum computers, known as Qubits – or in reality, whether future machines will depend on a group of different technologies instead of only one, with different types of machines appropriate for different computing problems.

This lack of agreement on something very essential is a realistic reminder of the extent Quantity Computing still should go to prove itself. It also indicates that the race is formed among some of the largest technology companies that are likely to result from the winners and losers, as some Qubits fails to go out.

This week, the role of Amazon, the new relative expatriate in the world of quantum devices, was to add to the multiplication set of technologies. Entry, known as the name Cat forcesThe name of the Cat Shrudneger, one of the most misunderstanding experiences in science (the Austrian physicist used a cat’s paradox for him to explain that it is unreasonable to believe that a cat was closed from view in a box that could be alive and death at the same time, contrary to what many believe).

Cat Qubits follows its assets to research at Yale University a decade ago, and she was a pioneer for the first time by the French company Alice & Bob, which costs 100 million euros last month a sign of increased confidence technology Ready to move beyond the laboratory. The ingredients are designed in a way that suppresses one of the common types of errors that affect all Qubits, which makes them less vulnerable to the “noise” that accumulates inside the machines with the acquisition of systems in size.

All quantitative computers work by coding information on multiple Qubits to compensate for the instability of each individual component. The lower the number of errors is less likely to the exhibition, the less number the number required. Amazon’s first primary chip, made of nine Qubits, achieves other types of quantum chip using 50-100, according to OSKAR PAINTER, the company president of the quantum devices.

The company is offered, characterized by a paper in natureHe follows Microsoft claim It finally has its 20 -year pursuit of a more radical type of Qubit, based on the exploitation of a new case of the material.

The first model chips of the two companies – Microsoft’s Majoraana 1 and Amazon’s Ocelot – are still behind the leaders in this field, such as Google and IBM’s Heron. These and others depend on different types of Qubit with a longer record. Even if Microsoft and Amazon are right to claim that they have superior ingredients, they have a long way to show that they can be used to create practical machines that jump competition.

There are clear similarities with the current race between the largest technology companies to develop their artificial intelligence chips. A painter says that the Amazon goal in Quantum is the same in artificial intelligence: While her cloud arm, AWS, plans to provide customers with every type of chips on the market, the chip in her home will work as an anchor. This makes chips, whether in artificial or quantity, is of strategic importance for the largest technology companies.

In quantity, a lot will depend on whether the race has turned out to be a race or marathon. Modern developments, such as progress in correcting the error I mentioned Google Last year, optimistic estimates were brought to the practical quantum computer by the end of the contract. However, Ginsen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, shook the world earlier this year with his estimation from 15 to 30 years, while Amazon painter expects that work machines are still 10-20 years away.

If cautious estimates are correct, this is doubtful how many quantum research efforts that you will live today. Even for emerging emerging operations, waiting for a decade will be punishable. Since different quantum structures are expanded, some monotheism appears to be less than basic techniques.

richard.waters@ft.com