Figure 1 A ‘bit’ can take the value 0 or 1, sometimes represented by an arrow pointing up or down. A qubit is a superposition of these two states, in some sense both 0 and 1 at the same time, and can be represented as an arrow of unit length pointing in any direction
As the UNESCO International Year of Quantum Science and Technology draws to a close, this special edition of Physics Review takes a look at some aspects of this revolutionary theory, which has had, and continues to have, such a profound effect on the world in which we live.
It is 100 years since Werner Heisenberg, of uncertainty principle fame, took a short holiday on the island of Helgoland and developed his matrix mechanics. His work, and those of subsequent famous names such as Schrödinger, led to the development of, among other things, the electronic devices we use every day.
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