Plasmonic Quantum Computers

When the wavelength of physical entities, such as electrons and photons, approaches the size of the system, classical laws of physics, like Newton’s laws, prove inadequate in describing the states of these physical systems. In such scenarios, characterizing these systems necessitates the application of the Schrödinger equation—a cornerstone in the study of quantum physics.

In these quantum systems, the states are no longer exclusive, and the system’s state is expressed as a linear combination of states—a principle recognized in quantum mechanics as the superposition principle. Moreover, these specific physical systems exhibit a distinctive property called entanglement, a phenomenon not observable in classical physics. 

Leveraging these two characteristics of quantum systems can be employed to build computers that demonstrate incomparable speed compared to classical computers. For example, utilizing this approach can enable the rapid solution of intricate problems that would otherwise require ten thousand years of computation across hundreds of thousands of computers, all within a matter of minutes. 

Computers developed to harness these features are known as quantum computers, and they could be instrumental in addressing time-consuming and computationally intensive problems. This includes tasks such as designing new drugs, weather forecasting, artificial intelligence, space exploration, and cybersecurity, among others.