QUANTUM COMPUTING
uantum computing has long been heralded as the next frontier in computing , with the potential to revolutionise fields from cryptography to drug discovery . While practical quantum computers remain elusive , the field has seen steady progress in recent years , bringing this transformative technology one step closer to reality .
Classical computers process information using bits – the fundamental units of data represented as either a 0 or a 1 . Quantum computers , on the other hand , use quantum bits or qubits to encode information . Qubits can exist in quantum superposition , meaning they can be a 0 and a 1 simultaneously , rather than being confined to a definite state like classical bits .
This quantum property allows quantum computers to perform certain computations exponentially faster than classical computers . Algorithms running on quantum machines can solve problems like prime factorisation and database searching much more efficiently than classical approaches . Quantum computers also have the potential to simulate complex quantum mechanical systems , which is a significant challenge for classical computers .
However , maintaining the delicate quantum states required for computation is extremely difficult . Qubits are highly susceptible to environmental interference , which can cause them to “ decohere ” and lose their quantum properties . This is in addition to the significant engineering
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