The idea is that these devices can harness the counterintuitive effects of quantum mechanics to solve problems faster than conventional computers, which could potentially improve artificial intelligence, materials science, space exploration, and even Google web searches. IBM DeveloperWorks. Physical Review Letters. ISBN If the researchers had chosen a different problem, or if they had compared the D-Wave 2X to a different algorithm, the quantum machine may not have been quite so impressive. In nature, physical systems tend to evolve toward their lowest energy state: objects slide down hills, hot things cool down, and so on. Sign up for notifications from Insider! Read Edit View history. Explore D-Wave applications, events, and resources.