Introduction to quantum

computer technology

A short presentation of the two most important quantum algorithms are given which are the Grover’s
algorithm (database search algorithm) and the Shor’s algorithm (integer factorization algorithm).
Simulation, cryptography and security are

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Boulder, CO,
have demonstrated multiple computing operations on quantum bits--a crucial step toward
building a practical quantum computer.

Quantum computers have the potential to perform calculations far faster than the classical
computers used today. This superior computing power comes from the fact that these
computers use quantum bits, or qubits, which can represent both a 1 and a 0 at the same
time, in contrast to classical bits that can represent only a 1 or a 0. Scientists take a number
of different approaches to creating qubits. At NIST, the researchers use beryllium ions
stored within so-called ion traps. Lasers are used to control the ions' electronic states,
depending on the frequency to which the laser light is tuned. The electronic states of the
ions and their interactions determine the quantum operations that the machine performs.
Over the past few decades, researchers have made steady progress toward a quantum
computer, for instance, by storing quantum data or performing logic operations on qubits.
But the NIST work, which is published online today by the journal Science, pieces together
several crucial steps for the first time. The work involved putting an ion into a desired state,
storing qubit data in it, performing logical operations on one or two of the qubits, transferring
that information among different locations, and finally reading out the qubit result
individually. Importantly, the researchers show that they can perform one operation after
another in a single experiment.
"This is the next step in trying to put a quantum computer together," says Dave Wineland,
lead researcher on the project. "It's nice to have reached this stage."

The NIST team performed five quantum logic operations and 10 transport operations
(meaning they moved the qubit from one part of the system to another) in series, while
reliably maintaining the states of their ions--a tricky task because the ions can easily be
knocked out of their prepared state. In other words, the researchers had to be careful that
they didn't lose quantum combinations of 1s and 0s while they manipulated their ions.
 The Father of Quantum Computing
David Deutsch, Oxford University theoretical physicist, is credited with being the father of quantum computing.

Application of quantum computer

While classical computers of the mid 20th century utilized as their basic unit of information the “bit”,

which could represent at any one time either “0″ or “1″, a quantum bit, or “qubit”, would harness the

power of quantum mechanics in order to represent “0″, “1″, or a superposition of both. Thus a quantum

computer would be able to simulate quantum mechanical processes that classical computers take too

long to do or are entirely unable to handle.

Because of its speed and versatility, it seems likely that the search aspect of quantum computers will

be one of the more important applications of a quantum computer. By the laws of quantum physics,

specifically the Superposition Principle, atoms can be in several different energy states at once. The

enormous potential of quantum computing is derived from the fact that this principle could allow for

the creation of a computing device able to act on all its possible states simultaneously, carrying out

numerous computations in parallel. Quantum computers are able to perform non-classical logic

operations and can be used to solve computationally intractable problems that cannot be solved by

conventional massively parallel supercomputers.

A classic nonlinear problem is that of the “Traveling Salesman,” which tries to find the shortest route

between X number of cities the vendor must visit. As the value of X increases, the problem gets
exponentially harder. Finding the best route without testing every possible route against each other,

one by one, and assessing results, is the holy grail of information technology. That is the conundrum

for quantum computers; the emergence of such a powerful tool comes with relatively few real-world

applications. Most people would never see or use a quantum computer. This is not one of those things

which will replace all computers. There are already products on the market using quantum mechanics.

When they become more powerful the banking space will have endless applications to this new

computational paradigm:

• Used to calculate Enterprise Risk Positions intra-day if not real-time

• Used to search massive networks of liquity for Pair trading opportunities
• Massively improve analytics for real-time pricing of exotic products
• Conduct analysis, i.e. Monte Carlo, in 1/1000 of the time frame
• and many more…
so where we are:-Teams consisting of scientists and practitioners around the world are succeeded in

creating very small quantum computers at the tail end of the 20th century. The first quantum

computer consisted of two qubits and was demonstrated by a team of researchers led by Isaac Chuang

at the University of California-Berkeley in 1998. Chuang and his colleagues then demonstrated the first

three-qubit quantum computer the following year at the IBM-Almaden research facility in Silicon Valley.

This one was able to carry out Grover’s database-search algorithm. In 2000 the same people

demonstrated order-finding on a five-qubit computer and in 2001 they were able to construct a seven-

qubit computer that carried out Shor’s integer-factoring algorithm. The latter of these was built with

1018 molecules, each consisting of the nuclei from five fluorine and two carbon atoms.

Bit versus qubit

A bit is the basic unit of computer information. Regardless of its physical
realization, a bit is always understood to be either a 0 or a 1. An analogy
to this is a light switch— with the off position representing 0 and the on
position representing 1.
A qubit has some similarities to a classical bit, but is overall very
different. Like a bit, a qubit can have two possible values—normally a 0
or a 1. The difference is that whereas a bit must be either 0 or 1, a
qubit can be 0, 1, or a superposition of both.
The qubit is described by a quantum state in a two-state quantum-mechanical system, which is formally
equivalent to a two-dimensional vector space over the complex numbers.

, a quantum state of some particle could be a "given direction and energy, or some other given
condition" [1] of that particle. A quantum statecan also be described by a set of mathematical variables
that fully describes a quantum system.

In quantum mechanics, a two-state system (also known as a TLS or two-level system) is a system
which has two possible states. More formally, the Hilbert space of a two-state system has twodegrees of
freedom, so a complete basis spanning the space must consist of two independent states. An example of
a two-state system is the spin of a spin-1/2 particle such as an electron, whose spin can have values +½
or -½ in units of ħ.
The NIST team performed five quantum logic operations and 10 transport operations
(meaning they moved the qubit from one part of the system to another) in series, while
reliably maintaining the states of their ions--a tricky task because the ions can easily be
knocked out of their prepared state. In other words, the researchers had to be careful that
they didn't lose quantum combinations of 1s and 0s while they manipulated their ions.