In the real world...

This podcast from the Financial Times (FT Tech Tonic) have dedicated an entire season (6 episodes) to Quantum computing. The series does a good job at bridging concepts taught in Units 3/4 Physics with cutting edge real world applications.

I have selected episode 3 (The quantum revolution: 'Spooky action') to highlight and showcase. This episode does a great job at breaking down these challenging and seemingly arbitrary concepts into a more easy to understand format.

Discussion points in this episode include:

• A brief history of Schrödinger and Einstein's theory of quantum mechanics. 
• The concept of super-position that occurs at a sub-atomic level. Simplified by the Schrödinger's cat thought experiment.
• Bits vs Qubits:
  • In Classical Computing: Bits are either "0" or "1". 
  • In Quantum Computing: Quantum bits (Qubits) are in any super position of "0" and "1" (essentially in both states until 'observed').
• The concept of quantum entanglement. Instead of Qubits being in separate states of super position they can be 'entangled' so that they in a super position with each other.
  • Therefore if two Qubits were entangled the super position would comprise of four states at once: "00", "11", "01", or "10".
• Making Qubits in the real world.