Petaflops computing and computational nanotechnology

One of the biggest challenges in nanotechnology is the need to simulate entire molecular assemblies of up to 100 million atoms or more. This requires about one million to one billion fold more computing power than is available today. For nanotechnology to be successful, it will be essential to develop Petaflops computing systems and associated software. We will survey the various enabling technologies, such as semiconductors, superconducting, photonic, and exotic (quantum integrated circuits, molecular computers, DNA computers) that are expected to be available in the next 20 to 25 years for making Petaflops computing and nanotechnology feasible. It will be shown that progress in nanotechnology and progress in future high-performance computer systems are mutually interdependent.