In late 2019,

在2019年末，

Google built a quantum computer that could make a calculation in three minutes. That might not sound like much — you can order takeout for dinner with your phone in less time — but the same task would have taken a classical computer at least 1,000 years. This presented yet another milestone in the development of quantum computers. Judging by the sheer number of startups in the space, as well as the millions of dollars in funding, quantum computing seems to be the next big thing in tech.谷歌制造了一台量子计算机，可以在三分钟内完成计算。 听起来可能不算太多-您可以在更短的时间内用手机订购外卖晚餐-但相同的任务至少需要一台经典计算机使用1000年。 这是量子计算机发展的又一个里程碑。 从该领域的初创企业数量以及数百万美元的资金来看，量子计算似乎是技术领域的下一个大问题。

Experts’ projections back that up: by 2025, the quantum computing market is projected to hit $770 million. Quantum cryptography alone might account for $214 million since it provides fundamentally unhackable connections that could add an extra layer of security across all fields, from finance to healthcare.

专家的预测证明了这一点：到2025年，量子计算市场预计将达到7.7亿美元。 仅量子密码技术就可能带来2.14亿美元的收入，因为它提供了根本不可破解的连接，可以在从金融到医疗保健的所有领域中增加额外的安全性。

Given this information, investors are understandably looking to pour cash into startups dealing with quantum computing. Between 2017 and 2018, investors put more than $450 million into quantum computing. That’s more than four times the amount that was invested in the two years prior.

有了这些信息，可以理解的是，投资者希望将现金投入到从事量子计算的初创公司中。 在2017年至2018年期间， 投资者向量子计算领域投入了超过4.5亿美元 。 这是前两年投资额的四倍以上。

The question that nobody can answer yet is whether this surge in investments will result in a bubble. Once that bubble bursts, the market could cool off and result in “quantum winters,” analogous to AI winters: droughts of investment activity that have slowed the growth of AI multiple times in the last decades.

没有人能回答的问题是，这种投资激增是否会导致泡沫。 一旦泡沫破裂，市场可能会降温，并导致“量子冬天”，类似于人工智能冬天 ：投资活动的干旱在过去几十年中多次减慢了人工智能的增长。

Whether or not the current boom is a bubble has many implications across the field. At this point in time, investing in or working at a quantum computing startup means setting up an uncertain future for yourself. This doesn’t mean that quantum computing won’t succeed in the long run, but you’ll need some deeper knowledge before making a decision.

当前的繁荣是否是泡沫，对整个领域都有许多影响。 在这个时候，投资或在量子计算初创公司工作意味着为自己建立一个不确定的未来。 这并不意味着量子计算从长远来看不会成功，但是在做出决定之前，您需要更深入的知识。

Because of its incredible computing power, the quantum world might help to bring on new scientific breakthroughs, discover life-saving drugs, develop new materials to build more efficient devices and buildings, invent financial strategies to live well in retirement, and find new algorithms to quickly direct resources or manage supply chains. For now, however, some challenges remain to be overcome before we can truly speak about a “quantum revolution.”

由于其不可思议的计算能力，量子世界可能有助于带来新的科学突破，发现救生药物，开发新材料以构建更高效的设备和建筑物，发明财务策略以使退休生活更美好，以及找到新的算法来快速引导资源或管理供应链。 但是，就目前而言，在我们真正谈论“量子革命”之前，仍有一些挑战需要克服。

量子计算的关键概念 (Key concepts of quantum computing)

In short, quantum computers can store and process way more data on fewer processors than a classical computer. A classical processor encodes all information in sequences of zeros and ones, with each instance of a zero or one being one bit. A quantum processor stores information in qubits, which are the quantum analogue to bits. The difference is that each qubit can be a zero and a one at the same time, however.

简而言之，与传统计算机相比，量子计算机可以在更少的处理器上存储和处理更多数据。 经典处理器以零和一的顺序编码所有信息，零或一的每个实例都是一位。 量子处理器将信息存储在量子位中，量子位是位的量子模拟。 区别在于，每个量子位可以同时为零和一。

Think about it like a coin: When lying on the table, it’s either heads or tails. But if you spin it, there’s no way to tell whether it’s heads or tails; in a sense, it is both. Depending on how it spins, there may be, for example, a 70 percent chance that you get heads and a 30 percent chance that you get tails once the coin comes to rest. This concept of being in two states at once is called superposition.

像一枚硬币一样思考它：躺在桌子上时，无论是正面还是反面。 但是，如果旋转它，就无法分辨它是正面还是反面。 从某种意义上说，两者都是。 例如，根据硬币的旋转方式，一旦硬币静止，您可能有70％的机会获得正面收益，而有30％的机会获得正面收益。 一次处于两种状态的概念称为叠加。

Since many qubits interact with one another, you end up with a set of probabilities that derives from measuring combinations of zeros and ones. This results in a much greater computing power than with classical bits. For example, each letter that you’re reading on your screen is encoded in a sequence of eight zeros and ones, or eight classical bits. Eight qubits, however, are the equivalent of 2⁸, or 256 classical bits, because each qubit has two possible states. On an eight-qubit quantum computer, you’d therefore be able to write 32 letters instead of one single one.

由于许多量子位相互交互，因此最终会得出一组概率，这些概率是通过测量零和一的组合得出的。 与经典位相比，这导致了更大的计算能力。 例如，您在屏幕上阅读的每个字母都以八个零和一或八个经典位的序列进行编码。 但是，八个量子位相当于2/5或256个经典位，因为每个量子位都有两个可能的状态。 因此，在一台八比特的量子计算机上，您将能够写32个字母，而不是一个字母。

The current state of the art is 50 qubits, and since the power increases exponentially, that processing capability means you could make a quadrillion — that is, 1,000 trillion — calculations at once. At the end of the process, you just measure the end result, i.e. measure the final state of each qubit, and your job is done. Even the biggest supercomputers can’t do that much processing.

当前的技术水平是50量子比特，并且由于功率成倍增加，因此这种处理能力意味着您可以一次进行四千万次运算(即1,000万亿次)计算。 在过程的最后，您只需测量最终结果，即测量每个量子位的最终状态，即可完成工作。 即使是最大的超级计算机也无法完成那么多处理。

Making 50 or more qubits work isn’t as easy as it sounds, however. Interference, a pretty basic phenomenon, makes the qubits quite error-prone. Earlier, I described qubits and their superpositions like a spun coin. Imagine now that two qubits are whizzing around like coins on a table. If you look at the position of a point on one of the coins at each instance in time, it looks like a wave (see figure). Just like sound and water, these waves travel through space and time with a certain amplitude and wavelength.

但是，使50个或更多的量子位工作并不像听起来那样容易。 干扰是一种非常基本的现象，它使量子位很容易出错。 之前，我将量子位及其叠加描述为旋转硬币。 想象一下，现在两个量子位像桌子上的硬币一样在旋转。 如果您及时查看每个实例中一个硬币上的一个点的位置，它看起来就像是波浪(见图)。 就像声音和水一样，这些波以一定的振幅和波长在时空中传播。

Sometimes, two waves can destructively interfere, and, as a result, you measure nothing. You can think about it in terms of the two coins: imagine that they’re both spinning on the tabletop, with the same speed, and, let’s say, clockwise. Further imagine that we’re focusing on the same point on each coin, but that one coin is always lagging a half-turn behind the other (see section “destructive interference” in the figure below). In quantum computing, we often can’t separate both measurements, so basically we’re measuring two waves in one. But in this scenario, we won’t ever measure anything because the positions of the coins cancel out!

有时，两波会产生相消干扰，结果，您什么也没测量。 您可以用两种硬币来思考：假设它们都以相同的速度在桌面上旋转，并且可以顺时针旋转。 进一步想象一下，我们在每个硬币上都集中在同一点上，但是一个硬币总是落后于另一个硬币半圈(请参见下图中的“破坏性干涉”部分)。 在量子计算中，我们通常无法将两个测量分开，因此基本上我们是同时测量两个波。 但是在这种情况下，我们将永远不会进行任何测量，因为硬币的位置会抵消！

This phenomenon is called decoherence, and it’s a direct consequence of the destructive interference of two waves. At the moment, it’s a problem that’s yet to be fully resolved. Decoherence causes errors, and we obviously don’t want that when we’re building software that might have a huge impact on human lives.

这种现象称为退相干，是两个波的相消干涉的直接结果。 目前，这是一个尚未完全解决的问题。 退相干会导致错误，并且在构建可能对人类生活产生巨大影响的软件时，我们显然不希望这样做。

The third and final key concept of quantum computing is entanglement. This concept has no analogy in the classical computing world, but when two quantum particles become entangled, they always return the same state when they’re measured. It’s as if you had two coins that were somehow magically connected. So if you could stop one coin from spinning in Tokyo and the other in London, they would both return the exact same result, heads or tails, as long as you perform the measurements at the same time.

量子计算的第三个也是最后一个关键概念是纠缠。 这个概念在古典计算世界中没有比喻，但是当两个量子粒子纠缠在一起时，它们在被测量时总是返回相同的状态。 好像您有两个以某种方式神奇地连接在一起的硬币一样。 因此，如果您可以阻止一种硬币在东京旋转，而另一种硬币在伦敦停止旋转，只要您同时执行测量，它们都会返回完全相同的结果，即正面还是反面。

This phenomenon is extremely important for quantum encryption: in the near future, we might be able to store one quantum particle on one computer and entangle it with one on another computer. The connection between these two particles is fundamentally secure because any disruption is immediately detectable. Quantum entanglement also means that we could have immediate data transfer across computers, which could result in a quantum internet in the decades to come.

这种现象对于量子加密极为重要：在不久的将来，我们也许能够将一个量子粒子存储在一台计算机上，并将其与另一台计算机纠缠在一起。 这两个粒子之间的连接从根本上是安全的，因为任何中断都可以立即检测到。 量子纠缠还意味着我们可以在计算机之间立即进行数据传输，这可能会在未来几十年带来量子互联网 。

关于量子计算的三个神话 (Three myths about quantum computing)

1.我们已经可以构建完美的量子计算机。 (1. We can already build a perfect quantum computer.)

Present-day quantum computers only have about 50 error-free qubits at any one time, although the computers contain many more qubits. At the moment, interference poses such a challenge to scaling quantum computation systems that it’s extremely hard to make more qubits work. Of course, solving this problem will be worth the effort because each error-free qubit would double the machine’s computing power! But since scientists are still figuring out how to get around interference and decoherence, we’re still a long way away from a so-called fault-tolerant (meaning error-free) quantum computer.

尽管量子计算机包含更多的量子位，但当今的量子计算机在任何一次都只有大约50个无错误的量子位。 目前，干扰对扩展量子计算系统提出了巨大的挑战，以至于很难使更多的量子比特工作。 当然，解决此问题将是值得的，因为每个无错误的qubit都会使计算机的计算能力加倍！ 但是由于科学家们仍在研究如何解决干扰和退相干问题，因此距所谓的容错(无错误)量子计算机还有很长的路要走。

In addition, quantum computers currently have trouble storing data for a long time because the qubits deteriorate pretty quickly. Because no computer is infinitely fast, if the results of one step of a calculation get lost before the computer gets around to using them for the next step, it will have to perform the whole calculation again. Like coins that will eventually stop spinning on a tabletop, scientists have yet to find ways to make qubits stay in their superpositions for longer. As soon as the superposition of a qubit has ended, it’s basically a classical bit.

此外，由于量子位会很快恶化，因此量子计算机目前很难长时间存储数据。 因为没有一台计算机可以无限快地运行，所以如果计算的一个步骤的结果在计算机继续进行下一步之前就丢失了，则它将不得不再次执行整个计算。 就像最终将在桌面上停止旋转的硬币一样，科学家们尚未找到使量子比特停留在其叠加中更长的方法。 量子位的叠加一旦结束，就基本上是经典位。

2.在五年内，我们将能够解决所有棘手的计算问题。 (2. In five years we’ll be able to solve all tough computing problems.)

Many companies are already working on algorithms that will work on quantum computers, which I will elaborate on more below. At the moment, however, most algorithms are designed for fault-tolerant systems with millions of qubits, and we simply haven’t reached that stage yet.

许多公司已经在研究将在量子计算机上运行的算法，我将在下面详细介绍。 但是，目前，大多数算法都是为具有数百万个qubit的容错系统设计的，而我们还没有达到这个阶段。

In addition, it’s very unlikely that we’ll have quantum computers in our homes or offices any time soon. We’ll connect to them via remote sessions, but we still haven’t figured out all the details of how to communicate with a quantum computer using a classical one. This area is under heavy development in academia and industry. So far, though, quantum computing languages like QCL are still relatively basic.

此外，我们不太可能在短期内在家里或办公室中安装量子计算机。 我们将通过远程会话连接到它们，但是我们仍然没有弄清楚如何使用经典计算机与量子计算机进行通信的所有细节。 该领域在学术界和工业界都在大力发展。 但是到目前为止，诸如QCL之类的量子计算语言仍然相对基础。

Finally, present-day quantum computers and their algorithms are focused on solving one single problem each. For example, Google’s proof of “quantum supremacy” involved algorithms that were specialized on one single mathematical problem and couldn’t be used for anything else. Right now, the situation is similar to the state of machine learning at the beginning of the last decade, and we have a long way to go to achieve general-purpose quantum computing.

最后，当今的量子计算机及其算法都专注于解决每个单一问题。 例如，谷歌的“量子至上性”证明涉及专门针对一个数学问题的算法，不能用于其他任何算法。 目前，情况类似于最近十年初的机器学习状态，要实现通用量子计算，我们还有很长的路要走。

3.很快，我们将能够破解任何密码。 (3. Soon, we’ll be able to break any password.)

According to current recommendations, passwords should be long and contain upper- and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. This way, even very powerful computers can’t crack your passwords. But one day, quantum computers may be able to do just that.

根据当前的建议，密码应该长，并且包含大小写字母，数字和特殊字符。 这样，即使功能非常强大的计算机也无法破解您的密码。 但是有一天，量子计算机也许能够做到这一点。

That sounds threatening, but experts across the board assert that we have a long way to go before we reach that stage. In light of the problems mentioned above, this seems likely.

那声音威胁，但专家 跨越 的 板断言，我们还有很长的路要走，我们到达那个阶段之前。 鉴于上述问题，这似乎是可能的。

Besides, once quantum password-hacking is available, quantum encryption should be too. The most likely scenario, therefore, is that we’ll see a gradual transition from classical passwords to quantum encryption as quantum systems become more and more powerful.

此外，一旦可以使用量子密码黑客，那么量子加密也应该可以。 因此，最有可能的情况是，随着量子系统变得越来越强大，我们将看到从经典密码到量子加密的逐步过渡。

初创公司如何将量子计算推向市场 (How startups are bringing quantum computing to the market)

Although there are many areas of overlap, quantum startups can roughly be grouped into five categories based on their areas of focus:

尽管有很多重叠的领域，但量子初创公司可以根据其关注领域大致分为五类：

• Instrumentation includes technological components and control platforms to help other companies build quantum computers.

  仪器包括技术组件和控制平台，以帮助其他公司构建量子计算机。

• Quantum software covers different programming languages with applications ranging from data analysis to cybersecurity.

  昆腾软件涵盖了不同的编程语言，其应用范围从数据分析到网络安全。

• Sensors can be used to improve imaging, from archaeological sites to ID photos.

  从考古现场到身份证照片， 传感器都可以用来改善成像效果。

• Companies in computing build the actual quantum processors and operating platforms for the end user.

  计算领域的公司为最终用户构建了实际的量子处理器和操作平台。

• Quantum communication deals with cryptography, cybersecurity, or even cryptocurrencies.

  量子通信涉及加密，网络安全，甚至加密货币。

Next, I want to provide a quick overview over the top players in the field and the amount of funding they’re currently attracting. Since funding is a strong indicator of investors’ confidence in the technology, this could lead to useful insights on the future of quantum startups.

接下来，我想快速概述一下该领域的顶尖企业以及他们目前吸引的资金数量。 由于资金是投资者对这项技术信心的有力指标，因此这可能会导致对量子初创企业未来的有用见解。

仪器，工具和服务 (Instrumentation, tools and services)

One of the most prominent startups for quantum instrumentation is the Australia-based Q-CTRL. Their services are intended for manufacturers of quantum hardware and sensors, quantum algorithm developers, and business consultants. They’re pushing the boundaries of quantum computing by developing technologies to deal with decoherence and errors. Possible applications include aerospace and healthcare. Q-CTRL is backed by Sequoia Capital and Horizons Ventures, among others.

量子仪器领域最杰出的初创公司之一是总部位于澳大利亚的Q-CTRL 。 他们的服务面向量子硬件和传感器的制造商，量子算法开发人员以及业务顾问。 他们通过开发技术来应对退相干和错误，从而突破了量子计算的界限。 可能的应用包括航空航天和医疗保健。 Q-CTRL得到了红杉资本和Horizo​​ns Ventures等的支持。

Other notable companies in this category include ColdQuanta and Quantum Machines. ColdQuanta focuses on cooling systems for quantum technologies. This is extremely important because the qubits move around and become uncontrollable when they heat up. Quantum Machines focuses on quantum operation systems, i.e., they’re providing hardware to control qubits with. With today’s computers, that is a possible but difficult feat, especially when you’re working on large-scale problems.

该类别中其他著名的公司包括ColdQuanta和Quantum Machines 。 ColdQuanta专注于量子技术的冷却系统。 这非常重要，因为量子位在变热时会四处移动并变得不可控。 Quantum Machines专注于量子操作系统，即它们正在提供用于控制量子位的硬件。 对于当今的计算机，这是一个可能但困难的壮举，尤其是在处理大型问题时。

量子计算机软件 (Software for quantum computers)

Having raised a whopping $45 million in a Series B round from Fujitsu, Allianz, and Accenture, Canadian startup 1QBit seems to be on track to mastering the art of solving really hard problems with quantum computing. This includes more accurate predictions of hurricanes and their trajectories, and algorithms that better detect lung anomalies that can occur after a COVID-19 infection. The facts speak for themselves: according to 1QBit’s website, it’s partnering with Fortune 500 companies and has been recognized as Technology Pioneers by the World Economic Forum.

加拿大初创公司1QBit在来自Fujitsu，Allianz和Accenture的B轮融资中筹集了高达4500万美元的资金，似乎已经掌握了解决量子计算中非常棘手的问题的技术。 这包括对飓风及其轨迹的更准确的预测 ，以及可以更好地检测在COVID-19感染后可能发生的肺部异常的算法 。 事实来说话：根据1QBit的网站，它与世界500强企业合作，并已认识到世界经济论坛的技术先锋。

Backed by Honeywell VC and IBM, the United Kingdom’s Cambridge Quantum Computing is another startup that’s pushing the boundaries of quantum software, especially in chemistry, cybersecurity, and machine learning. They’ve also built a quantum compiler, which is an essential part of quantum software that translates human-made code into circuits that a computer can understand and execute. At this point in time, quantum compilers are a lot harder to build than classical compilers, but this startup has taken on the challenge.

在 Honeywell VC和IBM的支持下，英国的Cambridge Quantum Computing是另一家正在推动量子软件领域发展的初创公司，尤其是在化学，网络安全和机器学习领域。 他们还构建了一个量子编译器，这是量子软件的重要组成部分，该量子软件将人造代码转换为计算机可以理解和执行的电路。 在这个时候，量子编译器比经典编译器更难构建，但是这个初创公司已经面临了挑战。

Canadian startup ISARA is all about quantum encryption software. Their services range from protecting against decrypt attacks to assessing how safe you are from quantum threats. Other notable startups include QC Ware and Zapata Computing, which focus on quantum software for various applications like finance, healthcare, and transportation.

加拿大初创公司ISARA致力于量子加密软件。 他们的服务范围从防御解密攻击到评估您免受量子威胁的安全程度。 其他著名的创业公司包括QC Ware和Zapata Computing ，它们专注于量子软件，用于金融，医疗保健和运输等各种应用。

超精密传感器和智能材料 (Ultra-precise sensors and smart materials)

Swiss startup Qnami aims at using the quantum reactions of single electrons to enable super-precise measurements, particularly in science and research in physics and nanotechnology. With strong partners such as the French research center CNRS and the Luxembourgian digital agency Nvision, they’re strengthening their market position for years to come.

瑞士初创公司Qnami旨在利用单电子的量子React来实现超精确的测量，尤其是在物理学和纳米技术的科学研究方面。 与法国研究中心CNRS和卢森堡数字代理商Nvision等强大的合作伙伴，在未来几年中，他们将巩固自己的市场地位。

British startup QLM Tech takes a slightly different approach by focusing on ultra-precise sensors that detect gas molecules to monitor gas production, detect leakages in gas reservoirs, and prevent unnecessary greenhouse gas emission. Its partners include oil and gas supply and service companies.

英国初创公司QLM Tech采取的方法略有不同，其重点是用于检测气体分子的超精密传感器，以监测气体产生，检测储气罐中的泄漏并防止不必要的温室气体排放。 其合作伙伴包括石油和天然气供应与服务公司。

Fellow British startup Quantum Base has a different target group entirely: its optical sensors help identify fingerprints and the authenticity of a credit card, for example. It’s also pushing the boundaries in the area of random number generation, which is extremely important for cryptography and other applications in software.

同行的英国初创公司Quantum Base的目标群体完全不同：例如，其光学传感器可帮助识别指纹和信用卡的真实性。 它还推动了随机数生成领域的发展，这对于密码学和软件中的其他应用程序极为重要。

量子计算为核心 (Quantum computing at its core)

Canadian startup D-Wave is proposing a cloud service to access quantum computers and is particularly focused on problems in optimization, machine learning, and materials science. With a total funding of more than $200 million from Goldman Sachs and the British Columbia Discovery Fund, among others, it’s one of the giants in quantum computing.

加拿大初创公司D-Wave提出了一种云服务来访问量子计算机，并且特别关注优化，机器学习和材料科学方面的问题。 它是高盛(Goldman Sachs)和不列颠哥伦比亚发现基金(British Columbia Discovery Fund)等机构提供的总计超过2亿美元的资金，是量子计算领域的巨头之一。

With a similar amount of funding by Andreessen Horowitz and YCombinator, among others, U.S.-based startup Rigetti is one of D-Wave’s biggest competitors. Like D-Wave, it provides a cloud platform for its quantum computer, which currently operates with 31 qubits.

借助安德森·霍洛维茨(Andreessen Horowitz)和YCombinator等机构提供的类似资金，总部位于美国的初创公司Rigetti是D-Wave最大的竞争对手之一。 像D-Wave一样，它为其量子计算机提供了一个云平台，该量子计算机目前以31量子位运行。

While D-Wave and Rigetti rely on semiconductors, IonQ and PsiQuantum are taking slightly different approaches by employing trapped ions and photons, respectively. Although these technologies are not as well-explored as semiconductors, they might be less error-prone and therefore better for quantum computing in the long run. For now, however, it’s too early to predict which technology will win, but the whopping $500 million funding of PsiQuantum may be a sign of what investors are believing in.

虽然D-Wave和Rigetti依赖半导体，但IonQ和PsiQuantum分别采用捕获离子和光子，采取的方法略有不同。 尽管这些技术不如半导体开发得那么好，但它们可能不那么容易出错，因此从长远来看更适合量子计算。 然而，目前尚无法断言哪种技术将获胜还为时过早，但PsiQuantum高达5亿美元的融资可能标志着投资者的信念。

量子通信和加密 (Quantum communication and encryption)

Swiss startup ID Quantique focuses not only on quantum-safe encryption, but also on random number generation and quantum sensing. In contrast to some other companies, it has also brought a product to market that people without any knowledge in quantum technology can use — a 5G smartphone equipped with a quantum random number generator. This should make the smartphone safer by making security protocols harder to hack.

瑞士初创公司ID Quantique不仅专注于量子安全加密，还专注于随机数生成和量子感测。 与其他一些公司相比，它还向市场推出了一种产品，该产品可以让对量子技术没有任何知识的人都可以使用-配备了量子随机数发生器的5G 智能手机 。 通过使安全协议更难以破解，这应该可以使智能手机更安全。

Chinese startup QuantumCTek saw its stock soar by more than 900 percent following its IPO in July. It uses entanglement for quantum key distribution to provide unhackable security. Fellow chinese startup Qasky, also active in quantum security, might be going in a similar direction, although the funding amount remains undisclosed.

中国初创公司QuantumCTek在7月份进行首次公开募股后 ，其股价飙升了900％以上。 它使用纠缠进行量子密钥分发，以提供不可破解的安全性。 同样活跃于量子安全领域的中国同行初创公司Qasky ，也可能朝着类似的方向发展，尽管融资金额尚未公开。

Some honorable mentions include British startup Post-Quantum and Australian startup QuintessenceLabs, which are both working on quantum encryption too.

一些值得一提的荣誉包括英国初创公司Post-Quantum和澳大利亚初创公司QuintessenceLabs ，它们也都致力于量子加密。

泡沫还是不泡沫？ 就是那个问题。 (A bubble or not a bubble? That is the question.)

Are investors overhyping quantum computing? As a trained physicist, I have no doubt that quantum is the future, but it might be too early to invest in it in these early stages. After all, the companies that will make quantum computing accessible to everyone may not even exist yet. In addition, a hypewave that is followed by one or more “quantum winters” may hurt the development of quantum technologies more than it helps.

投资者是否在夸大量子计算？ 作为一名训练有素的物理学家，我毫不怀疑量子是未来，但是在这些早期阶段投资它可能为时过早。 毕竟，使所有人都可以使用量子计算的公司可能还不存在。 此外，紧随其后的是一个或多个“量子冬天”的宣传浪潮可能对量子技术的发展造成的伤害大于其所带来的帮助。

On the other hand, several quantum cloud platforms for researchers and developers are already available. Two examples are those by Rigetti and IBM. The aforementioned quantum-secured smartphone by ID Quantique is one of the first products where the end user needs no knowledge about quantum computing to benefit from the tech inside. These are promising signals that quantum computing, now still a niche phenomenon, could make the leap into mainstream tech within the next decade or so.

另一方面，已经有一些面向研究人员和开发人员的量子云平台。 Rigetti和IBM就是两个例子。 ID Quantique提到的上述量子安全智能手机是首批最终用户不需要量子计算知识即可从内部技术中受益的产品。 这些令人鼓舞的信号表明，量子计算(现在仍是一种小众现象)可能在未来十年左右的时间内成为主流技术。

Personally, I wouldn’t advise you to invest your money and time into quantum technology just yet, unless you have a solid background in quantum physics, and expertise that goes beyond the scope of this article. Even if you don’t buy in just yet, I’m positive that there will still be great profit margins for startup founders, employees and investors alike further down the road. I will keep watching the market, and once I feel that a product might really hit the mainstream soon, I might take the opportunity.

就个人而言，除非您具有量子物理学的扎实背景和超出本文讨论范围的专业知识，否则我不建议您将金钱和时间投入到量子技术上。 即使您暂时不购买，我还是很肯定的是，初创公司的创始人，员工和投资者在未来还有很大的利润空间。 我将继续关注市场，一旦我觉得某个产品可能很快就会真正成为主流，就可以抓住机会。

This story originally appeared on Builtin.com.

这个故事最初出现在 Builtin.com上 。