Nanocomputing
is a term used for the representation and manipulation of data by
computers smaller than a microcomputer. Current devices are
already utilizing transistors with channels below 100 nanometers in
length.
The current goal is to produce computers smaller than 10
nanometers. Future developments in nanocomputing will provide
resolutions to the current difficulties of forming computing
technology at the nanoscale. For example, current nanosized
transistors have been found to produce a quantum tunneling effect
where electrons ‘tunnel’ through barriers, making them unsuitable
for use as a standard switch.
The increased computing power formed by nanocomputers will
allow for the solution of exponentially difficult real world problems.
Nanocomputing also has the advantage of being produced to fit into
any environment, including the human body, whilst being
undetectable to the naked eye. The small size of devices will allow
for processing power to be shared by thousands of nanocomputers.
Nanocomputing in the form of DNA nanocomputers and quantum
computers will require different technology than current
microcomputing techniques but supply their own benefits.
DNA nanocomputing
Nanocomputing can be produced by a number of nanoscale
structures including biomolecules such as DNA and proteins. As
DNA functions through a coding system of four nucleobases it is
suited for application in data processing. DNA nanocomputers could
produce faster problem solving through the ability to explore all
potential solutions simultaneously. This is in contrast to
conventional computers which solve problems by exploring solution
paths one at a time in a series of steps.
Solutions to difficult problems would no longer be constrained by
processing time. DNA has the ability to provide this level of
computing ability at the nanoscale because of the endless possible
rearrangements of DNA through gene-editing technology. The large
number of random genetic code combination can be used for
processing solutions simultaneously, necessary for solving
exponentially difficult real world problems.
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Practical applications of this theoretical technology will require the
ability to control and program DNA flexibly. The earliest applications
of DNA to computing will likely be in the form of transistor switches,
overcoming current microcomputing problems such as transistor
tunneling. Biomolecular switches will be able to control electron flow
for computation through a change in composition of the DNA
molecules or by adapting the amount of light scattered by the
biomolecules. Alternative transistors have already been developed
using DNA for biological nanocomputers. The DNA switch could be
genetically programmed to produce or inhibit the production of a
protein. This would allow for the development of biological functions
that can compute disease diagnostics.
Quantum computing
Quantum computing provides computational power at the
nanoscale with abilities that reach beyond the limitations of
conventional computers. This is because quantum computers store
and manipulate data through the utilization of subatomic particles
dynamics. Binary computers process single pieces of information as
a binary state, either a 1 or a 0. Subatomic particles have two
states, but can also exist in any superposition of states. This means
they are governed by the laws of quantum mechanics rather than
classical physics allowing them to compute solutions to problems
with greater speed whilst requiring less space.
Future applications of quantum computing may include:
The simulation of drug response that is more efficient than
current medical trials. This will lead to the faster development
of new drugs.
Greater understanding of disease development through
improved computational models.
Improved transportation logistics across the world.
Improved financial modeling to avoid economic downturns.
The development of driverless cars with the ability to process
real world driving problems faster than human drivers.
The rapid processing of large amounts of astronomical data
for discovering new planets.
The production of quantum simulations for modeling the
behavior of subatomic particles without the need for creating
the extreme conditions necessary for observing these
particles.
Improved machine learning for artificial intelligence
progression.
A nanocomputer is a computer whose physical
dimensions are microscopic. The field of nanocomputing
is part of the emerging field of nanotechnology . Several
types of nanocomputers have been suggested or
proposed by researchers and futurists.
Electronic nanocomputers would operate in a manner
similar to the way present-day microcomputers work. The
main difference is one of physical scale. More and
more transistor s are squeezed into silicon chips with each
passing year; witness the evolution of integrated circuits
( IC s) capable of ever-increasing storage capacity and
processing power. The ultimate limit to the number of
transistors per unit volume is imposed by the atomic
structure of matter. Most engineers agree that technology
has not yet come close to pushing this limit. In the
electronic sense, the term nanocomputer is relative. By
1970s standards, today's ordinary microprocessors might
be called nanodevices.
Chemical and biochemical nanocomputers would store
and process information in terms of chemical structures
and interactions. Biochemical nanocomputers already
exist in nature; they are manifest in all living things. But
these systems are largely uncontrollable by humans. We
cannot, for example, program a tree to calculate the digits
of pi , or program an antibody to fight a particular disease
(although medical science has come close to this ideal in
the formulation of vaccines, antibiotics, and antiviral
medications). The development of a true chemical
nanocomputer will likely proceed along lines similar to
genetic engineering. Engineers must figure out how to get
individual atoms and molecules to perform controllable
calculations and data storage tasks.
Mechanical nanocomputers would use tiny moving
components called nanogears to encode information.
Such a machine is reminiscent of Charles Babbage 's
analytical engines of the 19th century. For this reason,
mechanical nanocomputer technology has sparked
controversy; some researchers consider it unworkable. All
the problems inherent in Babbage's apparatus, according
to the naysayers, are magnified a millionfold in a
mechanical nanocomputer. Nevertheless, some futurists
are optimistic about the technology, and have even
proposed the evolution of nanorobots that could operate,
or be controlled by, mechanical nanocomputers.
A quantum nanocomputer would work by storing data in
the form of atomic quantum states or spin. Technology of
this kind is already under development in the form of
single-electron memory (SEM) and quantum dots. The
energy state of an electron within an atom , represented
by the electron energy level or shell, can theoretically
represent one, two, four, eight, or even 16 bits of data.
The main problem with this technology is instability.
Instantaneous electron energy states are difficult to predict
and even more difficult to control. An electron can easily
fall to a lower energy state, emitting a photon ; conversely,
a photon striking an atom can cause one of its electrons to
jump to a higher energy state.