Quantum Computing on the Rise: IonQ Impresses Investors

IonQ is rapidly conquering the stock market and attracting the attention of investors. By December 11, the stock had gained an impressive 143% compared to the beginning of the year, with an increase of 289% recorded in just the last three months. The topic of quantum computing is highly sought after. Aside from smaller microcap stocks, four out of the ten biggest gainers in the last quarter specialized in hardware for quantum computers. IonQ represents the largest pure investment in this area, boasting a market capitalization of 6.5 billion USD. The central question remains whether this emerging company can provide significant returns to its early investors in the long run. Quantum computers are fascinating systems that will be capable of solving problems beyond the reach of conventional digital computers. Unlike classical computers, which rely on electrical currents and predefined logical sequences, quantum computers utilize the complex principles of quantum mechanics, based on probabilities. Even if quantum computers may not always solve mathematical problems with absolute precision, their ability to optimize complex real-world systems will be revolutionary. Potential application areas include the analysis of genetic codes, breaking challenging cryptography, weather forecasting, and training AI systems. ### Step by Step Towards the Future The promise of the quantum computer has the potential to revolutionize numerous industries and create entirely new business fields. However, this promise lies in a future where today's experimental systems evolve into powerful computing machines for the industry. How far away is this commercial success? A recent result published by Google, a subsidiary of the tech giant Alphabet, indicates significant progress. A system with 100 so-called qubits managed to perform simple error corrections in a demanding computation project. Error corrections are crucial because the systems are inherently prone to disturbances. This is an important advancement, even if it is small. Google anticipates that quantum computers with 10,000 or more qubits could possess commercially useful error correction capabilities.