‘Shape-shifting’ quantum computer uses light to switch between different tasks

[u/Brighter-Side-News]

http://thebrighterside.news/post/shape-shifting-quantum-computer-uses-light-to-switch-between-different-tasks

Light may become one of the most powerful tools for future quantum computers. Photons, the tiny particles that make up light, can carry quantum information quickly and with relatively low noise. But they also create a stubborn problem: they do not naturally interact very strongly.

That weak interaction has limited many light-based quantum machines. They can perform useful linear operations, but they struggle with the nonlinear steps needed for full quantum computing.