On March 27, 2023, Riken research institute in Japan unveiled the nation’s first domestically produced 64-Qubit Quantum Computer online in Wako, Saitama Prefecture. The computer is deemed the next generation of computing systems, making it available for researchers. This achievement marks a significant milestone in Japan’s efforts to advance the development of quantum computing technologies and underscores the country’s commitment to being at the forefront of technological innovation.
The introduction of the domestically produced quantum computer is expected to facilitate further research in the field, as it provides an additional resource for investigating the fundamental principles of quantum computing. It also offers a platform for joint research and collaboration among experts in various fields, potentially leading to novel discoveries and the exploration of novel applications.
Riken research institute, currently backed up by the Japanese government, aims to facilitate access to diverse corporate entities and academic institutions, enabling small businesses and startups to gain access to quantum computing tools and knowledge of their practical applications.
The organization plans to integrate the quantum computer with the Fugaku supercomputer by 2025 and commence the extensive real-world application while simultaneously performing core processing.
“The release is not a goal but a milestone. The race has just begun.”
asunobu Nakamura, director of the Riken Center for Quantum Computing in Wako, Saitama Prefecture, who led the development of the domestically produced computer.
Nakamura noted that there are still several obstacles to overcome before quantum computers can be fully integrated into practical use. One of the primary challenges is the issue of scalability, as current quantum computers can only handle a limited number of qubits, or quantum bits, which are the basic building blocks of quantum computing.
Furthermore, creating error-correcting codes to reduce the errors caused by noise in quantum systems remains a significant challenge.
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