Understanding randomness is crucial in many fields. From computer science and engineering to cryptography and weather forecasting, studying and interpreting randomness helps us simulate real-world phenomena, design algorithms and predict outcomes in uncertain situations. Randomness is also important in quantum computing, but generating it typically involves a large number of operations. However, Thomas Schuster and colleagues at the California Institute of Technology have demonstrated that quantum computers can produce randomness much more easily than previously thought. And that’s good news because the research could pave the way for faster and more efficient quantum computers. Unlike classical computers that encode information in “bits” (either zeros or ones), the basic unit of information in quantum computing is the quantum bit or qubit. Arranging or shuffling these qubits in random configurations is one way scientists have demonstrated how quantum computers can outperform classical ones. It’s known as the quantum advantage. Shuffling qubits is a bit like shuffling a pack of playing cards. The more you add, the harder it becomes and the longer the process takes. Also, the more you shuffle in the quantum world, the greater the chance of ruining the delicate quantum state of each qubit. For this reason, it was thought that only small quantum computers could handle applications that relied on randomness.

Full report : Why improving randomness could lead to more powerful quantum computers.