Quantum computing

Key people

• John M. MartinisAmerican physicist (born 1958)
• Julia KempeFrench, German, and Israeli researcher in quantum computing
• Jozef GruskaSlovak computer science pioneer, expert in quantum computing
• Raymond LaflammeCanadian theoretical physicist (1960–2025)

Timeline

• 1920Quantum theory was developed in the 1920s to explain perplexing physical phenomena.
• 2020In December 2020, a group at USTC implemented a type of boson sampling on 76 photons with a photonic quantum computer, Jiuzhang, seeking quantum supremacy.
• 2023In June 2023, IBM computer scientists reported that a quantum computer produced better results for a physics problem than a conventional supercomputer.
• 2025As of 2025, Microsoft and other organizations were investing in quasi-particle research.
• 2026As a result, as of 2026 demonstrations are best understood as scientific milestones rather than evidence for near-term deployment.

Read

• Quantum computation and quantum informationMichael A. Nielsen · 2000Book
• Quantum Computer ScienceN. David Mermin · 2007Book
• Elements Of Quantum Computation And Quantum CommunicationAnirban Pathak · 2013Book
• Quantum SupremacyMichio Kaku · 2023Book

Watch

• Quantum Computers Explained: How Quantum Computing WorksYouTube
• A beginner's guide to quantum computing | Shohini GhoseYouTube
• Quantum Computers Explained – Limits of Human TechnologyYouTube
• How Does a Quantum Computer Work?YouTube
• Quantum Computers, explained with MKBHDYouTube
• Quantum Computing In 5 Minutes | Quantum Computing Explained | Quantum Computer | SimplilearnYouTube
• What is Quantum Computer with full information? – [Hindi] – Quick SupportYouTube
• Quantum Computer Explained Telugu | How Do Quantum Computers Work | Quantum computing Telugu BadiYouTube
• Why we need Quantum Computers?YouTube
• What is Quantum Computing [Telugu] | Quantum Computing అంటే ఏంటి? | Vamsi BhavaniYouTube

Listen

• Quantum Computing 101Inception Point AIPodcast
• Stupid Qubit - Quantum Computing for the CluelessJim Mortleman & Stuart HoughtonPodcast
• The New Quantum Era - innovation in quantum computing, science and technologySebastian HassingerPodcast
• Quantum ComputingProf. Dr. Michael J. HartmannPodcast

Voices to follow

• Jayanth Ramakrishnan@jayanth_in · XIndian founder and quantum computing researcher
• Chris MeniwYouTubeArgentine lawyer and technology entrepreneur
• Oliver Inderwildi@oridw · XResearcher, author and political consultant
• Nicholas Harris@theanalognick · XAmerican physicist and entrepreneur, founder and CEO of Lightmatter

By the numbers

• 73.6Internet users (%) — global, 2025 (World Bank)
• 111.5Mobile subs / 100 — global, 2025 (World Bank)

Debates

• Will fault-tolerant quantum computers be realized within the next decade?One view: Yes, rapid advancements in qubit stability and error correction suggest significant progress toward fault tolerance is achievable soon. · Another: No, the immense engineering challenges of scaling and maintaining quantum coherence make achieving true fault tolerance within ten years highly improbable.Open question
• Is quantum supremacy a meaningful milestone for the field?One view: Yes, demonstrating quantum supremacy proves that quantum computers can solve problems intractable for classical supercomputers, validating the technology's potential. · Another: No, quantum supremacy experiments often involve highly specialized, non-practical problems, offering limited insight into the technology's real-world utility.Open question
• Which qubit technology will dominate the future of quantum computing?One view: Superconducting qubits are currently the most advanced, showing strong potential for scalability and integration in complex quantum circuits. · Another: Trapped ions offer superior coherence times and gate fidelities, making them a strong contender for future, more robust quantum systems.Open question

Glossary

• QubitThe basic unit of quantum information, which can exist in a superposition of 0 and 1 simultaneously.
• SuperpositionA quantum phenomenon where a qubit can exist in multiple states at once until measured.
• EntanglementA quantum phenomenon where two or more qubits become linked, sharing the same fate regardless of distance.
• DecoherenceThe loss of quantum properties (like superposition and entanglement) due to interaction with the environment.
• Quantum SupremacyThe point at which a quantum computer performs a computational task that a classical computer cannot practically do.
• Quantum AnnealingA type of quantum computing used for optimization problems, finding the lowest energy state of a system.

Careers

Roles this can lead toward

Student research

Published policy papers by One Young India delegates — every delegate leaves published under their own name.

• The Plasticity Paradox: Technology’s Impact on The Adolescent BrainNeeti Singh
• Analysing the Riemann Hypothesis and the approach to solve it through Zeta Function Analysis and Quantum-Inspired Random Matrix TheoryArnav Dhiman
• Rethinking Education in the Digital Age: Bridging the Gap Between Technology and AccessGovind Mehra
• Untangling The Threads of the TikTok Ban's Impact On Global Trade via Trade, Technology, and DiplomacyAanya Menon

Threads 5

Where this connects to other fields — and why it's worth knowing.

• The Cell & Molecular Biology Science

  To find the best path for light energy, a leaf may let it explore many routes at once, using quantum superposition, the same weird trick engineers chase in quantum computers. Except plants pull it off in warm sunshine, while our machines need temperatures near absolute zero to even try. Photosynthesis might be a quantum computer that's been running quietly for billions of years.

• Causal Inference & Experiments Mathematics

  Two 'entangled' particles can be split across the galaxy yet always match up perfectly when measured, spookily in sync. But here's the twist: neither one sends any signal to the other, so one can't be causing the other. It's nature's cleanest proof that two things moving perfectly together does not mean one is pulling the other's strings.

• Scarcity & Trade-offs Economics

  There's a law of quantum physics that says you literally cannot copy an unknown quantum state, the 'no-cloning theorem.' That makes quantum information the first thing in history that's impossible to counterfeit, opening the door to 'quantum money' no forger could ever duplicate. Its scarcity would be guaranteed by physics itself, not by a government's rules.

• Metaphysics Philosophy

  A qubit, the building block of a quantum computer, sits in a weird in-between state before you measure it. But is it truly two things at once, or does it have one real answer we just can't see yet? Engineers building these machines can't dodge that question, so a piece of tech spec turns into a live argument about what 'real' even means.

• Cryptocurrency & Digital Money Economics

  The secret math that locks your crypto wallet could be cracked wide open by a future quantum computer. So some hackers are copying scrambled data today and just sitting on it, waiting for that machine to arrive and unlock it. They call it 'harvest now, decrypt later.'