What is a Quantum Bit + Cracking RSA - EEs Talk Tech Electrical Engineering Podcast #16

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Agenda:

00:40 Lee talks about how to crack RSA and Shor's algorithm

The history of quantum computing. The 1st to propose it was Richard Feynman in the 1960s. Interest soon died out. 1990s - Dr. Shor published a paper saying if one could build a quantum computer with certain parameters, then one could factor a very large number

Today's security uses the RSA public key system and the Diffie Hellman Key Exchange algorithm

HTTPS uses the Diffie Hellmen Key Exchange algorithm. RSA stands for Rivest, Shamir, and Adelman

4:00 RSA works only for people known to each other, Diffie Hellman works for anyone

5:00 Factoring numbers that consist of large prime numbers is the basis for RSA. The processing needed to factor them is too large to be practical

6:45 Shor's algorithm is fast enough to crack RSA. If one could build a quantum computer with enough quantum bits then use a machine language cycle time that is us or ms, then one could factor thousand bit numbers

7:50 When will they be built? Some say 10 years, others 50

8:45 What does a quantum computer look like? An architectural description is easier to describe. A quantum computer similar to a classical computer, a quantum computer is a co-processor that will co-exist with current forms of digital electronics

9:15 Shor's algorithm has a lot of common commands - if statements and for loops. But, quantum gates are used in a quantum processor

10:00 Because a quantum gate operates in time instead of space, the term "gate" isn't accurate

10:30 What quantum computers exist today? Some exist with just a few quantum bits. People claim they've created quantum computers with 21 quantum bits. But, there can be a lot of errors and noise. For example, can a proper setup and hold time be maintained?

11:50 The Schrodinger's Cat analogy - In reality, if you've put a piece of physics into a superimposed quantum state, a disturbance of it (photon impact) will cause it to collapse into the wrong state or collapse too early

13:15 Quantum bits have to be thoroughly isolated. We use vacuums or extreme cold temperatures (well below 1 degree Kelvin!)

13:45 Research companies making claims about the number quantum bits are not using solid state quantum computers.

The isolation of a quantum computer isn't be perfect, so there's a short lifetime for the c ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rZswtUjwag