Decoherence and Quantum Computing

Abstract

Quantum information theory and quantum computing have received rapidly growing attention over the past decade and have become one of the focal points of theoretical and experimental research. Quantum information theory views many fundamental concepts of quantum mechanics through a new lens. It has also inspired proposals for quantum technologies and applications, including the possibility of constructing a quantum computer in the future. Quantum computers that would implement useful algorithms are still far from any experimental realization, but many ideas have been worked out and some components that could serve as the basic building blocks of quantum computers have already been developed in the laboratory.