Using quantum computing technology to combat global climate change: opportunities and challenges

#Quantum computing refers to a new form of computing based on quantum physics. It promises to outperform traditional computers in processing data and optimizing it. The technology has broad environmental applications, including improving energy performance and optimizing urban planning.

What is quantum computing?

The classic computers we use in our daily lives are beneficial to the development of mankind. However, they are slowly being replaced by increasingly sophisticated machines.

One problem that classical computers cannot solve is optimization. For example, how many possible combinations are there to configure seating for 10 people around a table? The answer is the equivalent of about 3.6 million combinations. As the number of seats increases, the number of possible combinations increases exponentially. In order to find the best arrangement of seats, we first need a list of criteria that determines the best arrangement. However, the most effort- and time-consuming part is that a classical computer would need to simulate each combination in order to generate the results. Depending on the size of the data, a classical computer can take a long time to generate results. However, it is possible for a quantum computer to solve the problem in a matter of minutes.

The basic unit of information in a classical computer is called a binary digit, also commonly called a "bit." One bit is "1" or "0". If there are two bits in a row, there are four possible combinations - 00, 01, 10 and 11. Therefore, a classical computer would need to simulate four times to produce a result.

On the other hand, the basic information unit of a quantum computer is called a "qubit." A qubit is neither a "1" nor a "0". Instead, it exists in a superposition of "1"s and "0s". In other words, it is both a "1" and a "0" at the same time. Therefore, two qubits in a row are in a superposition of four states—00, 01, 10, and 11. Why is it revolutionary? Being in a superposition of all states shows that, in theory, a quantum computer only needs to simulate once to generate a result. Find the best arrangement of 10 seats among more than 3.6 million combinations in just a few tries.

What is the relationship between quantum computing and environmental protection?

Quantum computing can be used in any area that requires optimization; it can be about improving energy performance or it can be about developing a smart city that minimizes energy consumption.

One example is the Quadratic Assignment Problem (QAP), a mathematical problem that classical computers perform poorly on. Suppose there are n facilities and n locations, and you need to configure a facility at each location to minimize energy consumption. Logically, if we need to frequently transport large amounts of cargo between two facilities, we want to place them closer, and vice versa.

A study compared the performance of quantum and classical computers in solving quadratic assignment problems by providing data from 20 facilities and locations. As a result, the quantum computer produced an accurate answer in about 700 seconds, while the classical computer failed to meet the 12-hour time limit. This research demonstrates the huge potential of quantum computing to optimize urban planning to minimize energy consumption.

In addition to its functionality, quantum computing itself is also an environmentally friendly technology. According to a study jointly published by NASA, Google and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, a quantum computer requires only 0.002% of the energy consumed by a classical computer to perform the same task. The energy consumed by computers is huge; excluding the energy consumed by ordinary people's computers and smartphones, data centers themselves already account for more than 1% of global electricity. If data could be stored in the form of qubits, we could save a lot of energy.

Current challenges facing quantum computing

The most powerful quantum computer in the world is now developed by International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) with a capacity of 127 qubits. ​Eagle​​ ”. However, scientists believe that if quantum computers do not have a capacity of at least 1,000 qubits, they will have no commercial use. The slow development of quantum computers is largely due to the technical difficulties of building them.

Scientists were asked to manipulate particles as small as electrons to create qubits. Electrons need to maintain coherence, which means a state in which electron waves can coherently interfere with each other. However, electrons are very sensitive to external environments, such as noise and temperature. Therefore, the fabrication of qubits is usually done in an isolated environment that operates near absolute zero. Since atoms move at their lowest energy state, which is absolute zero, keeping electrons at this temperature helps them remain stable and less affected by the outside environment. This is a way to reduce the occurrence of decoherence. However, when decoherence occurs, we still don't have a clear way to correct it since external interference may destroy the remaining coherence of other electrons.

Although quantum computing is still in its development stages, we have seen tremendous progress in the field since its inception as a theory in the 1980s. Quantum computing could be humanity's next biggest advancement, from tracking molecular data in the human body that traditional computers cannot accomplish to developing drugs to treat different incurable diseases, to optimizing the energy efficiency of cities, countries, and even the world.

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