Quantum

Advance Could Lead to Bigger, More Reliable Quantum Computers, University of Edinburgh Scientists Say

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Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 19/10/2026, 09:19:25 UTC.

Briefings

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh and EPCC developed an algorithm enabling standard computers to simulate photonic quantum devices using only 5% of the computing power previously required. Tests on Gaussian boson sampling showed classical computers matched or exceeded some current quantum devices' performance. The work was published in Science Advances and involved scientists from Edinburgh, EPCC, Polytechnique Montreal, and EPSRC/Nature Science and Engineering Research Councils.

Key points

• Researchers at the University of Edinburgh and EPCC developed an algorithm allowing standard computers to simulate photonic quantum devices using approximately 5% of the computing power previously needed.
• Tests on Gaussian boson sampling demonstrated that classical computers using the algorithm matched or exceeded the performance of some current quantum devices.

Context

This breakthrough allows off-the-shelf computers to run quantum simulations previously requiring supercomputers, aiding in the design of improved photonic quantum computers. The research was published in Science Advances and involved collaboration between Edinburgh, EPCC, Polytechnique Montreal, and funding from EPSRC and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

Limitations

The evidence is limited to a single published article from October 2026. Results are based on specific tests of Gaussian boson sampling and do not represent universal performance guarantees for all quantum devices. The algorithm's scalability to larger simulations remains unproven, and the exact energy and time savings across different device types are not quantified.

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