What is quantum? Quantum is an important concept in modern physics. It refers to the smallest and inseparable basic unit of a physical quantity, which is essentially different from classical physics represented by Newtonian mechanics.
For a time, quantum technology became a hot word, and a large number of keywords such as "quantum science" and "quantum communication" appeared on the Internet. Don't confuse these three words. "Quantum science" refers to the scientific effect of quantum and is the subject system of quantum information. "Quantum communication" is the application of quantum in communication field, that is, encrypting communication to ensure security. Although communication is a very important application of quantum technology, quantum communication cannot be equated with quantum technology itself.
Compared with some improved technologies in the scientific community, quantum technology has a subversive role. It subverts the current mainstream electronic computing, that is, traditional and mainstream computers are all computers based on von Neumann structure. At the same time, the electronic components of mainstream computers-chips-are also based on electrons and developed according to the economic law of Moore's Law, which makes the process of computer chips develop from 14 nm and 7 nm to 5 nm.
But the problem is that Moore's law is approaching the physical limit, and some subversive technologies are urgently needed in the field of science and technology to innovate the computing architecture with quantum as the basic computing unit and electron as the basic unit.
The "trend" in "grasping the megatrends" mentioned in the Political Bureau of the Central Committee's study this time means that the foundation of the whole information technology in the world is changing, and it is entering the boundary point of the breakthrough of new computing architecture and basic capabilities, and it is necessary to rebuild a new system in advance. The construction of the system involves basic theory, basic materials, basic technology and device equipment, which forms the wide application of quantum technology and will eventually change the whole digital technology. Once the country has mastered this technology, it will make a big breakthrough in computing power and have a revolutionary impact on social development. At this point, the starting point at home and abroad is basically the same, and the whole world has entered the "no man's land". For this reason, quantum technology is also a strategic battleground for all countries.
Therefore, under the current situation, it is of great strategic significance to develop quantum technology.
Quantum technology is still developing in the form of Industry-University-Research with enterprises as the main force in the world. The typical enterprises in the world are IBM and Google. In 20 19, Google built the first quantum computer, and it only took 200 seconds to complete a calculation, while it took about 10000 years to adopt a traditional computer.
In the research of quantum science and technology, China keeps pace with European and American countries, or at least does not lag behind. It should be noted that this technology has made some breakthroughs in the world, but it is not in a mature stage of development, so China still has a great chance to take the lead in this competition. In China, quantum technology is still dominated by enterprises. Mozi, the world's first quantum science experimental satellite from China, and the first quantum secure communication backbone network in China are the results of cooperation between enterprises and Industry-University-Research. Guodun Quantum Enterprise, the leader of some projects, was hatched by Chinese Academy of Sciences. Tencent has established a quantum computing laboratory, which not only focuses on the application of information processing, such as the help of quantum algorithms to machine learning; We are also actively exploring some more classical calculation or simulation methods of small systems and molecules, which are applied to pharmaceutical, materials, chemistry and other industries.
In the final analysis, there are two essential meanings of quantum technology: one is to improve the security of information communication; The second is to improve computing power. At present, quantum computing can be widely used in many industries.
Quantum technology is an important force in the digital technology system. Looking at the learning focus put forward by the Political Bureau of the Central Committee, quantum technology, big data, artificial intelligence and blockchain are the core contents of digital technology and the core forces to promote the digital economy era.
Digital technology is a science and technology that uses the data of the physical world to construct a digital world that forms a mapping relationship with the physical world, and uses computing power and algorithms to generate useful information and knowledge to guide and optimize the economic and social operation in the physical world.
Digital technology is an iterative upgrade of a new generation of information technology. With the continuous advancement of digitalization, the connotation of "new generation information technology" has been greatly broadened, and new technologies such as cloud computing, big data, mobile Internet, Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and blockchain have emerged one after another. Quantum computing, brain-computer interface and other technical fields have broken through the traditional information technology field and will probably change the whole information computing system.
Judging from the practice of digital technology innovation in major countries and leading enterprises around the world, digital technology has gradually become a new innovation and competition hotspot in various countries. On the one hand, major digital technology giants focus on digital technology and digital technology, such as Google's AI, quantum computing, and knowledge automation engine technology; Microsoft and Amazon's cloud computing and AI; Digital double breakthrough of Dassault, PTC, Siemens, ESI and other companies; Apple's closed digital technology ecosystem based on processor innovation.
On the other hand, the innovation of digital technology giants is inseparable from the digitalization of data science and technology. For example, Google Waymo is unmanned, and it is necessary to continuously integrate digital technology with automobile-related disciplines, technologies and industries to realize the value realization from data to domain knowledge.
From the perspective of economic development, digital technology has turned workers from people into "people+machines", and workers can show exponential growth; Turn the means of production into "industrial and agricultural supplies+data", and the number of data is unlimited from tangible to intangible; Labor materials have become "industrial and agricultural equipment+digital technology equipment driven by computing power", showing exponential growth, unprecedented liberation of productivity, and human society has quickly entered the digital age. It can be said that digital technology points to digital economy in the short term and knowledge civilization in the long term.
From the perspective of promoting innovation, digital technology has driven the network collaborative innovation model. In the industrial age, the innovation process is a one-way linear process from basic research to applied research to "chain innovation" of industrial development. Digital technology needs the interaction and integration between the physical world and the digital world. On the one hand, it is necessary to solve the practical application, meet the needs of users, develop scene-based R&D and innovation in new markets, and form a reverse traction on scientific research from the needs of users. On the other hand, it will seek breakthroughs in basic disciplines and application innovation in basic technology fields. Each innovation subject is a node in a huge network system, and will participate in the whole process of new science, new technology and new product development and application, thus greatly shortening the cycle of innovation industrialization.
Therefore, under the influence of changes in production factors and innovation models, digital technology will eventually reshape the global economic competition pattern. In the early days of the development of digital economy, digitalization triggered the service industry to enter more complex traditional fields such as industry, energy and transportation. However, with the development of digital technology, the whole process from data-information-knowledge has been changed through data processing, simulation modeling, machine learning and so on. Promote the stage of knowledge automation and let data enter the system of value creation. This power determines that digital technology will reshape the global economy and industrial structure, and it will also be the strategic commanding height of competition between big countries and enterprises.
(The content of the article is provided by the researcher of the Institute of Science and Technology Strategy Consulting of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and interviewed by our reporter Shen)