This Fermi Summer School of Physics on "Experimental Quantum Information and Computing" represents a primer on one of the most intriguing and rapidly expanding new areas of physics. In this part, the interest in quantum information (QI) science is due to the discovery that a computer operating on quantum mechanical principles can solve certain important computational problems exponentially faster than any conceivable classical computer. But this interest is also due to the interdisciplinary nature of the field: the rapid growth is attributable, in part, to the stimulating confluence of researchers and ideas from physics, chemistry, mathematics, information theory, and computer science. Physics plays a paramount role in QI science, as we realize that computing is itself a physical process subject to physical laws. The incredible growth of classical computers and information processors in the 20th century stems from Turing's notion that a computer is independent of the physical device actually being used; be they relays, vacuum tubes, or semiconductor transistors. As we strive to build useful quantum information processors into the 21st century, we thus look for any physical system that obeys the laws of quantum mechanics, from single photons and atoms to quantum superconducting devices. These Fermi lectures take us on a journey through these and other promising current experimental candidates for QI processing, spanning quantum optics and laser physics, atomic and molecular physics, physical chemistry, and condensed-matter physics. While this broad coverage of experimental physics represents a challenge to the student, such an appreciation of these fields will be critical in the future success of quantum technology. Indeed, the most exciting feature of QI science is that the technology ultimately leading to a quantum processor is likely presently unknown.

Practical quantum computing still seems more than a decade away, and researchers have not even identified what the best physical implementation of a quantum bit will be. There is a real need in the scientific literature for a dialogue on the topic of lessons learned and looming roadblocks. This reprint from Quantum Information Processing is dedicated to the experimental aspects of quantum computing and includes articles that 1) highlight the lessons learned over the last 10 years, and 2) outline the challenges over the next 10 years. The special issue includes a series of invited articles that discuss the most promising physical implementations of quantum computing. The invited articles were to draw grand conclusions about the past and speculate about the future, not just report results from the present.

This multi-authored textbook addresses graduate students with a background in physics, mathematics or computer science. No research experience is necessary. Consequently, rather than comprehensively reviewing the vast body of knowledge and literature gathered in the past twenty years, this book concentrates on a number of carefully selected aspects of quantum information theory and technology. Given the highly interdisciplinary nature of the subject, the multi-authored approach brings together different points of view from various renowned experts, providing a coherent picture of the subject matter. The book consists of ten chapters and includes examples, problems, and exercises. The first five present the mathematical tools required for a full comprehension of various aspects of quantum mechanics, classical information, and coding theory. Chapter 6 deals with the manipulation and transmission of information in the quantum realm. Chapters 7 and 8 discuss experimental implementations of quantum information ideas using photons and atoms. Finally, chapters 9 and 10 address ground-breaking applications in cryptography and computation.

The Antikythera mechanism was probably the world’s first ‘analog computer’ — a sophisticated device for calculating the motions of stars and planets. This remarkable assembly of more than 30 gears with a differential mechanism, made on Rhodes or Cos in the first century B.C., revised the view of what the ancient Greeks were capable of creating at that time. A comparable level of engineering didn’t become widespread until the industrial revolution nearly two millennia later. This collection of papers provides a good overview of the current state-of-the-art of quantum information science. We do not know how a quantum Antikythera will look like but all we know is that the best way to predict the future is to create it. From the perspective of the future, it may well be that the real computer age has not yet even begun.

One of the most cited books in physics of all time, Quantum Computation and Quantum Information remains the best textbook in this exciting field of science. This 10th anniversary edition includes an introduction from the authors setting the work in context. This comprehensive textbook describes such remarkable effects as fast quantum algorithms, quantum teleportation, quantum cryptography and quantum error-correction. Quantum mechanics and computer science are introduced before moving on to describe what a quantum computer is, how it can be used to solve problems faster than 'classical' computers and its real-world implementation. It concludes with an in-depth treatment of quantum information. Containing a wealth of figures and exercises, this well-known textbook is ideal for courses on the subject, and will interest beginning graduate students and researchers in physics, computer science, mathematics, and electrical engineering.

The field of quantum computing has experienced rapid development and many different experimental and theoretical groups have emerged worldwide.This book presents the key elements of quantum computation and communication theories and their implementation in an easy-to-read manner for readers coming from physics, mathematics and computer science backgrounds. Integrating both theoretical aspects and experimental verifications of developing quantum computers, the author explains why particular mathematical methods, physical models and realistic implementations might provide critical steps towards achieving the final goal - constructing quantum computers and quantum networks. The book serves as an excellent introduction for new researchers and also provides a useful review for specialists in the field