Everyone knows and loves the computers they use in their daily lives. From their phones and laptops to the servers that hold all of their files to their alarm clocks, it is hard to imagine life without them. But change is coming for the computer of the present. That change is the introduction of quantum computing to the world. Quantum computers use the laws of quantum mechanics to do things that traditional computers cannot do well or even at all. I’ll start with attempting to explain how they work and the differences between them and the computers we are used to. Unfortunately, I don’t know quantum mechanics, so I’d be lying if I said I fully understood how these worked. If you want a description from the experts, here is Microsoft’s official introduction to quantum computing.

Present-day computers, as many people know, operate on purely binary calculations, using ones and zeros. The heart of computer processors uses many semiconductors known as transistors to store a bit, either a 1 or a 0, an on or off, similar to a switch, and the state of these transistors can switch current on or off through them. Combining transistors can create logic gates, which form the basis of all parts of the CPU and are what allow for calculations to be done at lower levels all the way up to playing games and surfing the web.

Quantum computers are entirely different. They use what’s known as quantum bits, or qubits, rather than bits. Qubits do not operate under the same binary laws of bits, but rather use the laws of quantum mechanics, principally superposition. Superposition is the idea that the qubit does not hold just one state, but a combination of all possible states with probabilities assigned for each. This is like the idea of Schrodinger’s cat, which we have no way of knowing if it is dead or alive, so we say it is both at the same time. These qubits can then be entangled which creates a single system where the qubits influence each other, allowing us to use measurements of one to make conclusions about the other. The more entangled qubits there are, the more complex of problems that can be solved. Quantum interference is a property of qubits that can influence the probability of it collapsing one way or another, so computers are built to minimize this interference. In the end, a classical computer can be used to send instructions to the quantum computer and do calculations.

A quantum computer

In reality, it really doesn’t matter to most people how quantum computers work. What really matters is that in the future, this new type of computing is bound to make a profound impact on the world, particularly in areas such as simulations, searching through data, optimizing the solution to a problem given a number of factors, cryptography, and machine learning where it performs significantly better than a traditional computer. Quantum computers can do some tasks that take weeks, years, or are not even possible for a classical computer in a matter of seconds. As they continue to improve, they will greatly increase the capabilities of scientists to do research and create better products.

Contrary to what one might think, however, quantum computers aren’t actually better than traditional computers for everything. General tasks are still better done on the cheaper, smaller, and simpler computers that we are used to, meaning they aren’t going away anytime soon. However, the things we do on those computers will be greatly influenced by the results of continued advancements in quantum computing in the coming years and decades. I can’t wait to see what we can accomplish with this new technology.