Quantum Computing’s Internals Demystified
“I think I can safely say that nobody understands quantum mechanics” — Richard Feynman
Quantum Computing has always been an enticing topic amongst tech writers and journalists. Its promises to the world of computing — and its difficulty — have enabled the area of research to gain an almost mystical reputation. All too often, articles and infographics surrounding the subject give high praise to its apparent potential while skimming over how such a system works in practice. This tends to misinform all but the most avid of readers.
Pop-science explanations will commonly skip over the intricacies of quantum systems, with statements such as:
While a traditional bit can be a ‘1’ or ‘0’, a quantum bit can be both a ‘1’ and ‘0’ at the same time.
Or, if you’re more lucky (but still unsure):
A quantum bit exists in a superposition of ‘1’ and ‘0’.
The reason that none of these explanations seem to ring true is that we are trying model quantum phenomena in a language that was developed in a very classical world. To explain quantum…
