Quantum computing: A cheat sheet

Quantum computing--considered to be the next generation of high-performance computing--is a rapidly-changing field that receives equal parts attention in academia and in enterprise research labs. Honeywell, IBM, and Intel are independently developing their own implementations of quantum systems, as are startups such as D-Wave Systems. In late 2018, President Donald Trump signed the National Quantum Initiative Act that provides $1.2 billion for quantum research and development. TechRepublic's cheat sheet for quantum computing is positioned both as an easily digestible introduction to a new paradigm of computing, as well as a living guide that will be updated periodically to keep IT leaders informed on advances in the science and commercialization of quantum computing. SEE: The CIO's guide to quantum computing (ZDNet/TechRepublic special feature) Download the free PDF version (TechRepublic) SEE: All of TechRepublic's cheat sheets and smart person's guides Quantum computing is an emerging technology that attempts to overcome limitations inherent to traditional, transistor-based computers. Transistor-based computers rely on the encoding of data in binary bits--either 0 or 1. Quantum computers utilize qubits, which have different operational properties.