Qudits: more complex cousins of qubits boost quantum computing

The quantum equivalent of ‘bits’ in classical computing are ‘qubits’ — quantum objects that can exist in a combination of 0 and 1. Now researchers are producing the first applications of ‘qudits’: units of information that offer combinations of three or more simultaneous states. Researchers have now used ‘qutrits’ and ‘ququints’ — qudits with three and five states respectively — to simulate how high-energy quantum particles interact through an electromagnetic field. Such simulations of quantum fields are promising applications of quantum computers, because they could make predictions that are beyond the abilities of ordinary computers.