atomchip real or hoax?

January 6, 2006 2:48 PM

Is the atom chip vaporware?

A few months ago there was a great deal of speculation about whether the quantum-optical computers from atomchip.com were real or a hoax. They are supposed to be presenting their product at the current CES 2006, but I can not find any coverage. Does anyone have any new infromation?

posted by blueyellow to Computers & Internet (3 answers total)

They are certainly not producing a quantum computer in the sense of a computer that uses entanglement to solve deep problems in polynomial or constant time. They do claim to be making a Quantum® Processor, i.e., they're using "Quantum" as a trademark. But it's no more a quantum computer than an Apple computer is made of fruit.

They also make reference to quantum-optical memory (without a ®). I have no idea what that is, but it's at least somewhat misleading.
posted by justkevin at 3:40 PM on January 6, 2006

also some pretty pics here.
posted by a. at 4:08 PM on January 6, 2006

Seems like they've been "unveiling" this technology about once a year for a while now. (See also a mefi post earlier this year.) Every single thing about the way this is presented screams hoax to me.
posted by hattifattener at 4:38 PM on January 6, 2006