The development of quantum computers is opening up previously unimaginable horizons in computing, promising to solve problems considered insurmountable for conventional computers, ranging from cryptography and pharmacology to the study of the physical and chemical properties of molecules and materials. However, existing quantum computers still have relatively limited computational capabilities. Into this phase of technological transformation comes the study just published in Science Advances, which shows the possibility of an unexpected alliance between methods used in quantum and traditional computing.
The research team, consisting of Cristian Micheletti and Francesco Slongo from SISSA in Trieste, Philip Hauke from the University of Trento and Pietro Faccioli from the University of Milano-Bicocca, used a mathematical approach called QUBO (from 'Quadratic Unconstraint Binary Optimisation'), which makes it possible to take full advantage of the properties of certain quantum computers, called 'quantum annealers'.
The new study used the QUBO approach to simulate dense polymer mixtures, complex physical systems that play a key role in both biology and materials science, in a radically new way. The result? The use of quantum computers resulted in an increase in computational power compared to traditional techniques, providing an important example of the great future potential of these new technologies. However, the QUBO approach also proved particularly effective on traditional computers, allowing researchers to discover surprising properties of these polymer blends.