What's Wrong With Quantum Computing
Basic Bits First things first, a quick reminder of exactly what a quantum computer is . Essentially, they’re computers that make use of quantum physics. Unlike a normal digital systems which rely on data encoded into binary digits (bits)—that can only ever take the form of 0 or 1—quantum computation uses quantum properties to represent data and perform operations. Building Blocks You've heard plenty of people by now—including us—banging on about quantum computers, and how they’re the future of high-performance computing. Quantum computing, we're meant to understand, is set to change the world. But despite its promise, it's neither widely available nor particularly useful yet. Here's why not. A quantum computer, then, uses not bits but qubits (quantum bits). Each of its qubits can represent a 0, a 1, or—crucially—anything in between. Imagine a table covered in coins. In a classical computer, each one is either showing a head or tail; in a quantum co...