Bringing a power tool from math into quantum computing

The Fourier transform is a mathematical operation essential to virtually all fields of physics and engineering. Although there already exists an algorithm that computes the Fourier transform in quantum computers, it is not versatile enough for many practical applications. In a recent study, scientists from Tokyo University of Science tackle this problem by designing a novel quantum circuit that calculates the Fourier transform in a much quicker, versatile, and more efficient way.