Karmactive TeamOrigin Quantum, a China-based company, made headlines this week with the successful delivery of their first commercial quantum computer, Wuyuan. This development puts China in the ranks of only three nations to have entered the quantum computing arena, alongside the US and Canada. Wuyuan utilizes superconducting chip technology and comes equipped with its own proprietary software stack. While the exact number of quantum processing units used is undisclosed, the machine is said to boast 24 qubits. The quantum computer also includes an operating system, software, and a cloud computing platform that enables remote shared use.
While Origin Quantum has remained tight-lipped about the recipient of their new quantum computer, Wuyuan, it is well known that these machines have a wide range of applications, from unraveling the secrets of the universe to decoding codes, creating cutting-edge medicine or even potentially being used for mass destruction. Dubbed China’s first ‘practical quantum computer’, Wuyuan has already caught the attention of the tech world and Origin Quantum is working towards an even more advanced system, Wukong, which is slated for release in the near future. The delivery of Wuyuan was reportedly made over a year ago, and it stands as a significant milestone in China’s journey into the world of quantum computing, as this is the first machine developed and built for commercial use.
Interestingly, despite being the only Chinese firm to assert delivery of a commercial quantum computer, Origin Quantum was not among the many quantum computer makers from the People’s Republic that faced blacklisting by the US government last year. The impact of this announcement remains to be seen. Despite Origin Quantum’s claims of building commercial quantum computers, the Wuyuan, the company’s first ‘practical’ quantum machine in China, appears to be a standalone product at present. According to The Register, it is, however, available to “other buyers,” as noted by the government-controlled GlobalTimes.
