History of Quantum Computing

During the 1980s, renowned physicist Richard Feynman attempted to design a computational model that could simulate the unseen world of quantum physics, which examines how molecular and submolecular atomic particles behave in response to a given applied energy, quickly realizing that conventional classical computers were insufficient to handle the vast amount of calculations required by the quantum universe.

An Unproven Theory

He then theorized the use of quantum elements in computing, which behave in a haze of amplitudinal probability constantly cycling between particles and waves. His what-if hypothetical set in motion a decades-long quest by physicists and computer scientist to harness the staggering computational power of quantum computers.

Bits vs Qubits

While a classical computer employs bits to store data in strings of binary digits of zero and one, quantum computers employ cubits, which are made of subatomic particles that exists in a constantly fluctuating state known as “superposition,” where each qubit has a probability of possessing amplitudes of both zero and one at the same time. When two or more qubits are in a closed state of superposition, they relate to one another under the quantum law of entanglement, which is also referred to as the EPR Paradox, as first hypothesized in the 1930s by physicists Albert Einstein, Boris Podolsky and Nathan Rosen.

Massive Capacity

Compared to classical computer bits, by way of example, a primitive 10-qubit computer can store a comparable 16,000—bit classical computer, while a system of 500 entangled qubits would require more classical bits than the number of atoms in the known universe. To calculate an outcome from a quantum computer that is more than just an outcome of random probabilities, quantum computers employ “interference,” which is harnessed by the creation of a quantum algorithm made up of a deterministic sequence of qubit gates, which deliver an enormous boost to the probability of capturing the right answer.

Applications Yet Unknown

Today, after decades of effort by computer scientists to develop quantum algorithms, quantum computing has shown promise in areas of cyber security and search optimization, although most researchers point to applications in the study of quantum mechanics, making quantum computing, yet another emerging breakthrough in man’s quest for computational power.