Do quantum computers exist?

I read an article about 8 years ago in Scientific American. That one day computers could look like the cup of coffee on our desks. They called them quantum computers. What happened? Is there such a thing as a quantum computer? And if there is .... does it look like that cup of coffee that is on my desk?

Do quantum computers exist?panda

Quantum effect circuit chips do exist. Not much outside the laboratory though.

The speed is high but the density needs improvement.

It looks like this is more in the realm of 10-20 years to functional.

And like 30 to a coffee cup...

Personally I think they should all be formed like a magic 8 Ball as early result will be about as good but exponentially faster.

Hey it took 50 years to go from the Wright bros to landing on the moon give it a little time.

Do quantum computers exist?suzuki

Ummmm, Ive never heard of quantum computers.

we are years (ie centuries) away from harnessing the random computational power of coffee. We would have to be able to precisely manipulate every single atom of a liquid and then find a way of changing that information into useful data.

I dont think you will see it operational in the next hundred years if at all.
Actually, there are people currently working on quantum computers, but it will be some time before a practical one can be constructed, and chances are it won't look like a cup of coffee (perhaps a piece of toast - maybe). The interest in them comes from the fact that if they can be constructed, they should be able to solve extraordinarily complex problems in far less time than normal computers. This is becuase instead of using bits, the normal unit of memory in current computers, they will use "qubits". The difference between them is that a bit is assigned a value of either 0 or 1. A qubit, on the otherhand, exists in a superposition - being both a 1 and 0 at the same time. The main problem with quantum computing is preventing the collapse of the superpostion, caused by the qubit interacting with other particles (a process called "decoherence"). And the solution to this problem is probably ways off.
Dont know, I once electrocuted myself while making toast.

I burnt my arm, but the toast was fine so don't worry.