Quantum Computing
With the announcement of the Nobel Prize for Physics being awarded to two researchers working in the field of quantum optics, many people are trying to get their heads around what the two men are being rewarded for. We’re sure it’s worthy but what’s it really all about?
Explanations will follow but, first, let me set the scene. We’re going to look at their success through the microcosm of quantum computers as this is one of the applications that pundits have mentioned. So, here we go…..
Normal computers process binary information – this means that something is either on or off, or in shorthand 1 or 0. British mathematician Alan Turing proved that you can do any calculation if you have enough switches that you can turn on or off. Quantum computers are being claimed as the next big thing because they take us beyond the binary and give us the capability to undertake a new kind of calculation. Quantum computers’ prowess stems from their switches, which can be both on and off at the same time. They can be put in a so-called ‘superposition’ of states.
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