Quantum Computing Without Magic

How quantum computing is really done: a primer for future quantum device engineers. This text offers an introduction to quantum computing, with a special emphasis on basic quantum physics, experiment, and quantum devices. Unlike many other texts, which tend to emphasize algorithms, Quantum Computing Without Magic explains the requisite quantum physics in some depth, and then explains the devices themselves. It is a book for readers who, having already encountered quantum algorithms, may ask, “Yes, I can see how the algebra does the trick, but how can we actually do it?” By explaining the details in the context of the topics covered, this book strips the subject of the “magic” with which it is so often cloaked. Quantum Computing Without Magic covers the essential probability calculus; the qubit, its physics, manipulation and measurement, and how it can be implemented using superconducting electronics; quaternions and density operator formalism; unitary formalism and its application to Berry phase manipulation; the biqubit, the mysteries of entanglement, nonlocality, separability, biqubit classification, and the Schroedinger's Cat paradox; the controlled-NOT gate, its applications and implementations; and classical analogs of quantum devices and quantum processes. Quantum Computing Without Magic can be used as a complementary text for physics and electronic engineering undergraduates studying quantum computing and basic quantum mechanics, or as an introduction and guide for electronic engineers, mathematicians, computer scientists, or scholars in these fields who are interested in quantum computing and how it might fit into their research programs.

A self-contained treatment of the fundamentals of quantum computing This clear, practical book takes quantum computing out of the realm of theoretical physics and teaches the fundamentals of the field to students and professionals who have not had training in quantum computing or quantum information theory, including computer scientists, programmers, electrical engineers, mathematicians, physics students, and chemists. The author cuts through the conventions of typical jargon-laden physics books and instead presents the material through his unique "how-to" approach and friendly, conversational style. Readers will learn how to carry out calculations with explicit details and will gain a fundamental grasp of: * Quantum mechanics * Quantum computation * Teleportation * Quantum cryptography * Entanglement * Quantum algorithms * Error correction A number of worked examples are included so readers can see how quantum computing is done with their own eyes, while answers to similar end-of-chapter problems are provided for readers to check their own work as they learn to master the information. Ideal for professionals and graduate-level students alike, Quantum Computing Explained delivers the fundamentals of quantum computing readers need to be able to understand current research papers and go on to study more advanced quantum texts.

A thorough exposition of quantum computing and the underlying concepts of quantum physics, with explanations of the relevant mathematics and numerous examples. The combination of two of the twentieth century's most influential and revolutionary scientific theories, information theory and quantum mechanics, gave rise to a radically new view of computing and information. Quantum information processing explores the implications of using quantum mechanics instead of classical mechanics to model information and its processing. Quantum computing is not about changing the physical substrate on which computation is done from classical to quantum but about changing the notion of computation itself, at the most basic level. The fundamental unit of computation is no longer the bit but the quantum bit or qubit. This comprehensive introduction to the field offers a thorough exposition of quantum computing and the underlying concepts of quantum physics, explaining all the relevant mathematics and offering numerous examples. With its careful development of concepts and thorough explanations, the book makes quantum computing accessible to students and professionals in mathematics, computer science, and engineering. A reader with no prior knowledge of quantum physics (but with sufficient knowledge of linear algebra) will be able to gain a fluent understanding by working through the book.

This book addresses a broad community of physicists, engineers, computer scientists and industry professionals, as well as the general public, who are aware of the unprecedented media hype surrounding the supposedly imminent new era of quantum computing. The central argument of this book is that the feasibility of quantum computing in the physical world is extremely doubtful. The hypothetical quantum computer is not simply a quantum variant of the conventional digital computer, but rather a quantum extension of a classical analog computer operating with continuous parameters. In order to have a useful machine, the number of continuous parameters to control would have to be of such an astronomically large magnitude as to render the endeavor virtually infeasible. This viewpoint is based on the author’s expert understanding of the gargantuan challenges that would have to be overcome to ever make quantum computing a reality. Knowledge of secondary-school-level physics and math will be sufficient for understanding most of the text.

This book targets computer scientists and engineers who are familiar with concepts in classical computer systems but are curious to learn the general architecture of quantum computing systems. It gives a concise presentation of this new paradigm of computing from a computer systems' point of view without assuming any background in quantum mechanics. As such, it is divided into two parts. The first part of the book provides a gentle overview on the fundamental principles of the quantum theory and their implications for computing. The second part is devoted to state-of-the-art research in designing practical quantum programs, building a scalable software systems stack, and controlling quantum hardware components. Most chapters end with a summary and an outlook for future directions. This book celebrates the remarkable progress that scientists across disciplines have made in the past decades and reveals what roles computer scientists and engineers can play to enable practical-scale quantum computing.

The ultimate non-technical guide to the fast-developing world of quantum computing Computer technology has improved exponentially over the last 50 years. But the headroom for bigger and better electronic solutions is running out. Our best hope is to engage the power of quantum physics. 'Quantum algorithms' had already been written long before hardware was built. These would enable, for example, a quantum computer to exponentially speed up an information search, or to crack the mathematical trick behind internet security. However, making a quantum computer is incredibly difficult. Despite hundreds of laboratories around the world working on them, we are only just seeing them come close to 'supremacy' where they can outperform a traditional computer. In this approachable introduction, Brian Clegg explains algorithms and their quantum counterparts, explores the physical building blocks and quantum weirdness necessary to make a quantum computer, and uncovers the capabilities of the current generation of machines.

Quantum mechanics, the subfield of physics that describes the behavior of very small (quantum) particles, provides the basis for a new paradigm of computing. First proposed in the 1980s as a way to improve computational modeling of quantum systems, the field of quantum computing has recently garnered significant attention due to progress in building small-scale devices. However, significant technical advances will be required before a large-scale, practical quantum computer can be achieved. Quantum Computing: Progress and Prospects provides an introduction to the field, including the unique characteristics and constraints of the technology, and assesses the feasibility and implications of creating a functional quantum computer capable of addressing real-world problems. This report considers hardware and software requirements, quantum algorithms, drivers of advances in quantum computing and quantum devices, benchmarks associated with relevant use cases, the time and resources required, and how to assess the probability of success.

Quantum Information Processing and Communication (QIPC) has the potential to revolutionize many areas of science and technology. This book covers the following topics: introduction to quantum computing; quantum logic, information and entanglement; quantum algorithms; error-correcting codes for quantum computations; quantum communication; and more."