Basics of Quantum Computing
Contents
Engineering Physics Module 3, Unit 3.4
• Basic idea of a quantum computer
• Qubits and qubit operations
• Quantum logic gates and Quantum circuits
Feynman’s Proposal of a Quantum Computer
Message – go and build a machine/hardware which uses laws of quantum
mechanics and which has “quantum mechanically prepared system” like
microscopic objects.
How Does A Quantum Computer Differ From Today’s Computers?
It is based upon using
• Qubits
• Superposition/interference Classical bits
• Entanglement
Light pulse of
Excited
frequency for
State
time interval t
Nucleus
Ground
State Electron
State |0> State |1>
Defining A Quantum Computer
Quantum computer is a machine that works on the principles of quantum
mechanics and executes programs in the same manner as microscopic
objects behave
Which Special Quantum Mechanical Properties Are Used?
• Superposition – ON and OFF simultaneously!
• Entanglement – connection stays even taken at two corners of the milky
way galaxy and they communicate instantaneously!!
• Teleportation – design here, appears there – “there” can be outside milky
way and it is instantaneous!!!
Classical v/s. Quantum Computers
Classical Computer Quantum Computer
Uses semiconductor-based CMOS logic May use atomic, electronic, nuclear or
gates photonic properties
ON/OFF state of CMOS transistor Logic 1/0 represented by spin up/down,
determines logic 1/0 ground state/excited state, right/left
circularly polarized light, parallel/anti-
parallel magnetization etc.
Bit can be in state 1 or 0 at a given time Bit (qubit) can be in both 1 and 0 states
at a given time
Machine executes operations bit by bit Machine executes operation on all
qubits simultaneously*
* This concept is different than parallel computing
or super computing
Advantage of a Quantum Computer
A classical computer A quantum computer
• Each register has unique input • Each register has both inputs
Executes one operation at a time Executes all operations in one go
No. of Computations = 4
Advantage of a Quantum Computer
• Encode more information
• Powerful
• Massively parallel
• Easily crack secret codes
• Fast in searching databases
• Hard computational problems become tractable
Quantum Algorithms
• Programs that would run on a quantum machine
• Currently, there are no genuine quantum algorithms
• We have Algorithms running on virtual machines that mimic quantum effects
• All use cloud based computing e.g. IBM’s Qiskit
Advantage of Quantum Algorithm
Took ≈ 2000 CPU years (OR 2000 parallel
processors x 1 year)
Graph credit: IBM Quantum Computing
Quantum Hardware
• Ion trap – uses atomic energy levels
• SQUIDs – uses magnetisation
• NMR – uses nuclear spin
• QD/SET – uses electron energy states
Examples:
• Honeywell using Ion trap
• D-wave Technologies using SQUID
• IBM using NMR
• Google using superconductors
Applications of Quantum Computing
Applications of Quantum Computing
Applications of Quantum Computing
Applications of Quantum Computing
Applications of Quantum Computing
Applications of Quantum Computing
Applications of Quantum Computing
Applications of Quantum Computing