In classical computing, random access memory (RAM) is needed to make things “work.” But it is subject to a certain level of energy loss. But what if you could create low-energy quantum access memory (QRAM) that would not only work in terms of quantum computing, but that could also be applied to classical computing?

Seth Lloyd, a researcher at MIT, believes that a new architecture for QRAM could be used to not only reduce the energy wasted by RAM, but also be used for completely anonymous Internet search. “My colleagues and I were interested in protocols for quantum Internet search,” he tells PhysOrg.com. “And we were also interested in what we could do with even a rudimentary quantum Internet. But first you have to develop this quantum RAM.”