Quantum clinical laboratory IT solutions 'could work while faulty'

Incorporating quantum computing into clinical laboratory IT solutions could be easier than previously thought, according to research from Imperial College London.

Scientists have, for two decades, been trying to build functional quantum computers; however, the process has proved difficult due to concerns about the fragility of the systems.

But a new breakthrough could see working clinical laboratory IT solutions and other computing environments built using quantum theory become more practical.

"Quantum computers should be much easier to build than previously thought, because they can still work with a large number of faulty or even missing components," the academic institution reveals.

The theoretical research implies that up to 25 per cent of the data from a quantum computer could be lost and replaced by looking at the qubits surrounding the gaps.

Ranked third in European league tables, Imperial College London was founded in 1907 and has more than 13,000 full-time students.