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The History and Future of Quantum Information

Two of the most important fields in the 20th century have come together to revolutionize the 21st.
 

by Ben P. Stein

When two good things get together, they can create something even better. That’s the case with quantum information—the marriage of quantum physics and computing theory. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has contributed to much of its history and is helping to shape its future.

ion_trap_magnesium_ions
INTRODUCTION:
A NEW QUANTUM REVOLUTION

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quantum simulator
QUANTUM
SUPREMACY

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jqi coherence time
THE STRANGE WORLD OF
QUANTUM PHYSICS

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NIST JUMP-STARTS QUANTUM INFORMATION

NIST had a major head start in quantum information in the 1990s. NIST researchers already had qubits—but under a different name.

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laser table
QUANTUM LOGIC
GATES

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THE RACE TO BUILD A
QUANTUM COMPUTER

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CRYPTOGRAPHY IN
THE QUANTUM AGE

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QUANTUM INFORMATION APPLICATIONS
WITHOUT COMPUTERS

You don’t even need a quantum computer for many powerful applications of quantum information. Many useful things can be done with the underlying technology. NIST researchers are developing the technology and exploring applications on multiple fronts.

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strontium_atomic_clock
THE SECOND QUANTUM
REVOLUTION

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