Quantum computing is an emergent field of cutting-edge computer science harnessing the unique qualities of quantum mechanics to solve problems beyond the ability of even the most powerful classical computers.

The field of quantum computing contains a range of disciplines, including quantum hardware and quantum algorithms. While still in development, quantum technology will soon be able to solve complex problems that supercomputers can’t solve, or can’t solve fast enough.

By taking advantage of quantum physics, fully realized quantum computers would be able to process massively complicated problems at orders of magnitude faster than modern machines. For a quantum computer, challenges that might take a classical computer thousands of years to complete might be reduced to a matter of minutes.

The study of subatomic particles, also known as quantum mechanics, reveals unique and fundamental natural principles. Quantum computers harness these fundamental phenomena to compute probabilistically and quantum mechanically.

Four key principles of quantum mechanics

Understanding quantum computing requires understanding these four key principles of quantum mechanics:

• Superposition: Superposition is the state in which a quantum particle or system can represent not just one possibility, but a combination of multiple possibilities. 
• Entanglement: Entanglement is the process in which multiple quantum particles become correlated more strongly than regular probability allows.
• Decoherence: Decoherence is the process in which quantum particles and systems can decay, collapse or change, converting into single states measurable by classical physics.  
• Interference: Interference is the phenomenon in which entangled quantum states can interact and produce more and less likely probabilities.