If yer gonna build a quantum computer, yer gonna need some quantum memory to store qubits.<\/p>\n
Enter quantum random access memory–which like most quantum things is just like plain old vanilla RAM except all a-ghostly and a-spooky. Brrrrr.<\/p>\n
Here’s how RAM works. Each memory cell is connected to a circuit tree in which the branches can be switched on or off. Addressing a single memory cell means arranging the switches so that the only path through the circuit tree goes to the cell in question.<\/p>\n
One important problem is how many switches yer have to pull to address a specific memory cell. In conventional RAM it’s in the 2^n<\/em> ballpark (where n<\/em> is the number of cells).<\/p>\n Now Seth “Lurver” Lloyd at MIT and a few buddies in Italy have worked out a quantum memory architecture that requires on n<\/em> switches to be thrown (or thereabouts).<\/p>\n That’s a significant reduction. What’s more, the team says the idea can be used to improve the performance of classical RAM. Reducing the switching from 2^n<\/em> to n<\/em> could dramatically reduce power consumption in conventional RAM.<\/p>\n And ain’t we all lookin for greener RAM?<\/p>\n