
A Link Layer Protocol for Quantum Networks - robjk
https://arxiv.org/abs/1903.09778
======
spacedog11
Very interesting, but all of their experiments are based on simulations. Would
have been alot better if they actually used quantum computers.

~~~
ksaj
One purposeful use for quantum computers is running simulations, as it can be
expected that results from a quantum simulation (read: real quantum computer
running a controlled simulation of a particular process) will work identically
when applied to that process everywhere else.

For example, there is great hope that we'll eventually have quantum simulators
that predict chemical and drug reactions and performance without needing to
use the actual drug or chemical on an actual guinea pig. These simulations are
on real quantum computers, using real quantum behaviours.

This works barring the discovery of another competing set of quantum rules,
but nobody is currently expecting that to happen.

Also the article describes the very real quantum computer these simulations
run on.

TL;DR: A quantum simulation is not the same thing as a quantum computer
emulator. You'll hear a lot about quantum simulations, but they are nearly
always in regards to real quantum computing.

