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Quantum computers can achieve performance orders of magnitude faster than even today’s largest super computers. Quantum computers can outperform classical computers by exploiting the quantum mechanical principles of superposition and entanglement.

It’s only when you look at the tiniest quantum particles – atoms, electrons, photons and the like – that you’ve seen these befuddling phenomena. They are perplexing because we don’t experience superposition and entanglement, in our day-to-day lives. They even challenged some of the greatest minds of the 20th century. Nobel prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman said, “Nobody understands quantum mechanics.” Einstein described quantum entanglement as “spooky action at a distance.”

Superposition and entanglement allow quantum computers to perform unprecedented amounts of parallelism. They do not need the multiple replication of hardware  required in a classical computer to do the same work.

Quantum superposition

Quantum superposition is the phenomenon where a qubit can exist in multiple states or places at the exact same time. Something can be “here” and “there,” or “up” and “down” at the same time. The quantum superposition “up” and “down” is lost after a measurement. We are left with a particle in one known state. This doesn’t make intuitive sense but it’s one of the weird realities of quantum physics.

Quantum entanglement

Quantum entanglement is an extremely strong correlation between quantum particles. It is so strong that actions performed on one affect the other, even if placed at opposite ends of the universe. This seemingly impossible connection inspired Einstein to describe entanglement as “spooky action at a distance.”

The transfer of state between quantum particles takes place at a speed of at least 10,000 times the speed of light, possibly even instantaneously, regardless of distance.

Source:LiveScience

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• Why Microsoft, IBM, Google and Boeing are taking a giant leap into quantum computing (GeekWire.com)

Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him at LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.