What is a Quantum Computer?
Feb 2nd, 2010
A quantum computer is a proposed computer that would exploit the quantum mechanical nature of particles, such as electrons or atomic nuclei, to manipulate information, and utilize quantum mechanical phenomena to exceed classical time complexity limitations. In a standard computer of today, data is stored in microscopic groves on a hard disk, and work by manipulating bits that can exist in one of two states, (0 or a 1), or left blank. A device then reads these symbols and blanks, and gives the machine instructions to perform a certain action.