PHYSICS SEMINAR
HOW A QUANTUM COMPUTER WORKS, WHAT IT IS NOT, AND HOW IT COULD BE BUILT
Olivier Landon-Cardinal
Friday, March 25, 2011
1:30-2:30 p.m.
Nicolls 315
Quantum information aims at harnessing the power of quantum mechanics in order to solve information-related tasks. It also provides a new insight into physics by focusing on information rather than energy.
In this talk, I will concentrate on quantum computing, the flagship topic of quantum information. Quantum computers hold the promise of solving some tasks more efficiently than their classical counterpart-not because they are faster, but thanks to their fundamentally different computational paradigm. I will describe a quantum computer as a gigantic interferometer, highlighting the importance of phase coherence, before reviewing the possible technologies for building such a device.
