IT Tips & Tricks
Leaving Supercomputers in the Dust: An Introduction to Quantum Computing
And why you need to know about this if you work in IT or Information Management
Published 22 April 2025
Have you heard something in the news or online about quantum computing? Have you studied it? If you haven’t, oh boy, are you in for a surprise. If you have, then you know it can sound so wild or futuristic (perhaps even a little religious) that it boggles the mind. But for anyone in IT or an IT-related field, it’s important to understand, as it will — most likely — form a large part of computing in the future. We either get with the program or get left behind.
Sure, there are aspects of quantum computing that can almost leave one questioning reality, except then you realize that maybe it’s merely a different reality or an addition to our current one. To quote from the Netflix series, Dark Matter, “Not everything that isn’t true is a lie.” So, let’s explore the quantum version of reality.
In the quantum world, things behave quite differently than in the world we see around us.
What Does “Quantum” Even Mean?
Let’s start with the word “quantum” itself. Quantum refers to the smallest, indivisible unit of a physical quantity, like energy or matter. It’s like the photons that make up light or the electrons that carry electricity. We’re talking atomic and subatomic (particles smaller than atoms).
Okay, So, in Simple Terms, What Is “Quantum Mechanics”?
Short answer: Quantum Mechanics, also known as Quantum Physics, is the study of the behavior and nature of atoms and sub-atomic particles, which, it seems, can be quite surprising. No, really. If the thought that just crossed your mind is that maybe you should stop reading now, let me assure you that this is not going to be your boring high school physics class.
Before I dive into quantum computing, I’ll briefly discuss two foundational factors contained in quantum mechanics that gave rise to quantum computing.
In the quantum world, things behave quite differently than in the world we see around us.
This means that measuring the properties of one particle instantly tells you about the state of the other, a phenomenon that Einstein famously called “spooky action at a distance.”
Superposition — Fact, Fiction … or Both?
Classical physics discovers and defines the laws of the behavior of the physical world that we directly observe — where objects have definite properties like position, density, speed, acceleration and momentum. Quantum mechanics is a whole different type of physics.
As previously mentioned, it explores the behavior of matter and energy at the smallest scale, the realm of atoms and subatomic particles. In this realm, physicists have discovered some laws (behaviors) that defy the laws of classical physics. For starters, quantum particles can exist in multiple states simultaneously, a phenomenon known as superposition.
Example: It has been discovered that a single electron can be in multiple separate positions around the nucleus of an atom, at the same time.
If this sounds bizarre and you are wondering if the author made an error when writing it: I didn’t. The fact that it conflicts with what we all think of as reality was not lost on the physicists who ran the experiments that resulted in the development of quantum mechanics.
Schrödinger’s Cat (What Most People Haven’t Been Told About This)
First, let’s review a commonly told version of this misunderstood story. Then I’ll cover what most of the retellings fail to reveal about it.
According to various accounts, in 1935, Nobel-prize-winning Austrian Physicist Erwin Schrödinger dreamed up a thought experiment in which an ordinary cat is sealed within a box that also contains a radioactive atom that has a 50% chance of decaying during the time period of the experiment.
Erwin Schrödinger — sans cat.
There’s also a device rigged up such that if the atom decays, a poison is released that kills the cat. If the atom does not decay during the experiment, the cat remains alive.
According to quantum mechanics, while the atom is not being observed (or interacted with), it is in superposition, which means it is in all of its possible states. In this exercise, Schrödinger limited the possible states of the hypothetical atom to just two — decayed or undecayed (presumably to keep the exercise simple). Therefore, from the moment the box is sealed, and until it is reopened at the pre-designated time, the atom is simultaneously both decayed and not decayed and, by extension, the cat is both dead and alive. (And, no, Schrödinger was not talking about a zombie cat.)
The atom and the cat continue in both states until the end of the experiment when someone observes it, at which instant the superposition would collapse to only one of the possible states. In short, the cat is both dead and alive until someone opens the box, at which instant it’s either dead or alive.
Ironically, having found its way into pop culture, this thought experiment seems better known than quantum mechanics itself. I say “ironically” because most folks don’t know that Schrödinger was not claiming that a real cat could actually be both dead and alive at the same time. Contrary to how this story is told in pop culture, he had no intention whatsoever of promoting that idea.
Further, the whole exercise was not intended to demonstrate quantum mechanics for the general public. It was Schrödinger’s attempt to demonstrate to his colleagues how difficult it is to reconcile quantum mechanics with what most people view as “common sense” in the macro world (the stuff people interact with in everyday life).
This car is called a “qubit” and can travel in multiple lanes at once, taking different paths simultaneously. Wrap your head around that for a moment.
To be clear, Schrödinger had not reversed his position on the laws of quantum mechanics either. He was just pointing out to his fellows (including a young scientist named Albert Einstein) that they needed to continue to ask questions and not rest on their laurels.
Okay, so quantum mechanics is weird, and you may not be buying it. But the fact that quantum mechanics appears to fall apart on complex objects, such as cats, doesn’t mean that it does not apply to subatomic particles. In fact, quantum mechanics is being used in the development of quantum computers right now. I make this point for the benefit of those who may have been thinking that the term “quantum computer” was just a cool-sounding name for the latest supercomputers. It’s not.
Entanglement (As If Superposition Wasn’t Wild Enough)
One of the most fascinating aspects of quantum mechanics is entanglement. When two quantum particles (such as either photons or electrons) become entangled (or linked), their states become interconnected, regardless of the distance between them. This means that measuring the properties of one particle instantly tells you about the state of the other, a phenomenon that Einstein famously called “spooky action at a distance.”
What Makes Quantum Computing Groundbreaking?
The cutting-edge field of quantum computing relies on the principles of quantum mechanics and could revolutionize fields like medicine, materials science and artificial intelligence by solving problems and performing calculations that would be impossible for traditional computers.
Per MIT, “a quantum computer harnesses some of the almost mystical phenomena of quantum mechanics to deliver huge leaps forward in processing power.”
How does it differ from traditional computing?
Imagine a regular computer as a single-lane road. Cars (bits) can only travel one at a time, and they must choose to go either left (0) or right (1). To be fair, there are computers today with a lot more than one road, which means they can run more than one process at the same time. But there are significant limits on how many of these one-lane roads you can have in a single machine and the choices for each car (bit) are still only two (0 or 1).
Now, imagine a quantum computer as a multi-lane super-highway with a special kind of car. This car is called a “qubit” and can travel in multiple lanes at once, taking different paths simultaneously. Wrap your head around that for a moment.
The three key differences between classical and quantum computing are:
Measuring a qubit leaves no room for error.
- Bits vs. Qubits: Classical computers use bits, which are represented as either 0 or 1. Quantum computers use qubits, which, while processing is occurring, can be in an infinite number of states at once. To use the simplest example, a single qubit can be both 0 and 1 simultaneously.
- Superposition: Qubits can exist in multiple states at once. This takes parallel processing to a whole new level. Nay, it’s beyond parallel processing.
For a qubit, having multiple values simultaneously seems to not be merely theoretical and opens up a whole new world of computational power and speed.
An overly simple analogy for the use of superposition in computing is to think of a coin toss. Before being flipped into the air, the coin presents as either heads or tails (0 or 1). Only one side is facing up at any one time. Then you flip it. While airborne, in classical computing, the spinning coin is neither heads nor tails, or you could say that it’s rotating between heads and tails, momentarily being one and then the other. In any case, at any one instant, it can only be one of the two possible states. In quantum computing, the coin would actually be both heads and tails at the same time until the moment it is observed (the flipping stops), at which point it instantly collapses into one of the two states.
A coin flip is not a very good analogy. First, in the quantum world, there are way more possible states than just two. Second, in the case of physical activities such as flipping a coin, does it really matter whether the airborne coin is in neither state or rotating between two states or whatever? No. While that coin is in the air, our theories on what’s happening are not going to have any effect on the final outcome of the flip. But when it comes to quantum computing, it matters. For a qubit, having multiple values simultaneously seems to not be merely theoretical and opens up a whole new world of computational power and speed.
- Entanglement: Qubits can be linked so that the state of one instantly affects the state of the other, regardless of distance.
In theory, these properties allow quantum computers to process information — in what I have dubbed as “beyond-parallel” — dramatically increasing their computational speed. Actually, make that mega-dramatically.
Is Quantum Computing Largely Theoretical?
Yes and no. (How’s that for the perfect quantum-esque answer?)
I would say mostly no. While not yet even close to being in practical use, it’s certainly no longer purely theoretical. I believe my grandkids will see a world where quantum is the “norm” in computing. They’ll tell stories to their kids about the days when computers were not quantum and marvel at how we even survived back in the digital dark ages.
As of the date of this article, big names such as IBM, Microsoft, Google and others have built experimental quantum computers, though they have not yet achieved a computer that would be sufficiently reliable and practical for widespread use.
IBM’s Quantum System One and Quantum System Two computers are designed to be accessible to researchers for exploring the potential of quantum computing.
Microsoft is focused on developing a unique type of qubit called a “topological qubit.” The hope is that these qubits will be more stable and less error-prone, which would help overcome one of the inherent hurdles to the practicality of quantum computing.
Per MIT, “a quantum computer harnesses some of the almost mystical phenomena of quantum mechanics to deliver huge leaps forward in processing power.”
Google is hard at work on developing quantum processors such as their Sycamore processor and, more recently, the Willow chip. These processors are designed to perform quantum computations and explore the capabilities of quantum algorithms.
Clearly, there’s still a lot of work to be done in this arena, but we are well beyond mere theory.
One day, quantum computers will be able to solve complex problems faster than any current or emerging supercomputers. For example, it’s estimated that they’ll be capable of solving problems in mere minutes that would require 10,000 hours on a supercomputer.
The Promise of Quantum Computing
Some of the most promising applications of quantum computing include:
- Drug Experimentation and Development: Quantum computers could accelerate the development of new medical drugs by simulating molecular interactions at an unprecedented level of detail and at amazing speed.
- Material Science: Quantum computers could help design new materials with extraordinary properties, such as superconductors and ultra-strong alloys. (A better, more planet-friendly alternative to plastic immediately comes to mind.)
- Artificial Intelligence: Quantum computers could power advanced AI algorithms, enabling breakthroughs in machine learning and natural language processing.
- Financial Systems: Quantum computing offers the ability to model systems with more connections between them or execute rapid ways of looking up greater volumes of data. The benefit to the financial and investment industries is, most likely, incalculable (except by a quantum computer).
- Cryptography: While quantum computers could break many of the cryptographic algorithms that are currently used to secure digital communications, they could also be used to develop new, quantum-resistant encryption techniques.
Final Thoughts
While quantum computing could develop amazing new encryption techniques, it’s also the only force that could break them.
There’s a lot going on and a lot to look forward to in the field of quantum computing, but it’s not like you’re going to be able to walk into a big box store anytime soon to purchase a quantum computer to take home with you. Yet, a fundamental understanding is incredibly important right now. Why?
That last bullet point above — Cryptography — hints at the potential problem we’re facing: While quantum computing could develop amazing new encryption techniques, it’s also the only force that could break them. What do you do when the solution is also the problem is also the solution is also … ? You get the idea.
For further information on this cybersecurity situation, see Quantum Computing and Cybersecurity: Are We 24 Months From Mayhem? Think I’m crazy? Just remember that craziness, according to Jimi Hendrix, is like heaven, and frankly, can’t we all do with a little bit of that?
By Ed Clark
Ed Clark
LinkTek COO
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