Always wanted a high-end quantum computer? If so, then look no further than the new D-Wave 2000Q. Standing 10-feet-tall and priced at a whopping $15-million dollars, the actual chip powering the machine is only the size of a thumbnail, while cryogenic refrigerators and shielding take up the most of the 700 ft3 structure to keep it functioning properly. All this cooling means the chip itself is cooled to just 15 millikelvins, or -459.6° Fahrenheit through use of a liquid helium cooling system. Continue reading for a tour of the D-Wave labs and more information.
“The first buyer of the 2000Q is a cyber security firm called Temporal Defense Systems, an apparently real company that is not a Star Trek: Voyager villain, who intends to use it to solve cyber security problems. For those who don’t have nearly as futuristic of a company name (or $15 million to drop on a new computer), it will be possible to access the 2000Q online through a subscription service,” according to The Verge.
