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{{Short description|Quantum Collection topic on Quantum mechanics/Timeline/Quantum information era}}
{{Quantum book backlink|Timeline}}
{{Quantum book backlink|Timeline}}


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The '''quantum information era''' marks the modern phase of [[Physics:Quantum mechanics|quantum mechanics]], in which information itself is treated as a physical quantity governed by quantum laws. Beginning in the late 20th century, this era combines [[Physics:Quantum mechanics|quantum mechanics]], [[Physics:Quantum information theory|information theory]], and [[Computer science|computer science]] to explore how quantum systems can process, store, and transmit information.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Watrous |first=John |title=The Theory of Quantum Information |date=2018 |publisher=Cambridge University Press}}</ref>
The '''quantum information era''' marks the modern phase of [[Physics:Quantum mechanics|quantum mechanics]], in which information itself is treated as a physical quantity governed by quantum laws. Beginning in the late 20th century, this era combines [[Physics:Quantum mechanics|quantum mechanics]], [[Physics:Quantum information theory|information theory]], and [[Computer science|computer science]] to explore how quantum systems can process, store, and transmit information.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Watrous |first=John |title=The Theory of Quantum Information |date=2018 |publisher=Cambridge University Press}}</ref>


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<div style="font-size:90%;">Quantum circuit illustrating superposition, entanglement, and measurement: Hadamard gates create superposition, CNOT gates generate entanglement, and measurements collapse qubits into classical outcomes.</div>
<div style="font-size:90%;">Quantum circuit illustrating superposition, entanglement, and measurement: Hadamard gates create superposition, CNOT gates generate entanglement, and measurements collapse qubits into classical outcomes.</div>
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Revision as of 14:03, 17 May 2026


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The quantum information era marks the modern phase of quantum mechanics, in which information itself is treated as a physical quantity governed by quantum laws. Beginning in the late 20th century, this era combines quantum mechanics, information theory, and computer science to explore how quantum systems can process, store, and transmit information.[1]

Quantum circuit illustrating superposition, entanglement, and measurement: Hadamard gates create superposition, CNOT gates generate entanglement, and measurements collapse qubits into classical outcomes.
Quantum mechanics/Timeline/Quantum information era.

Overview

Unlike classical information, which is encoded in bits (0 or 1), quantum information is stored in qubits that can exist in superpositions of states.[2]

A key resource is quantum entanglement, which allows correlations between particles that have no classical analogue.[3]

Historical development

The quantum information era emerged from several key breakthroughs:

  • 1980s – Richard Feynman and David Deutsch propose quantum computation as a physical model
  • 1994 – Peter Shor introduces a quantum algorithm for factoring integers, threatening classical cryptography[4]
  • 1996 – Lov Grover develops a quantum search algorithm
  • 2000s – Experimental advances in quantum teleportation and quantum communication
  • 2010s–present – Development of scalable quantum processors by companies such as IBM and Google

These developments established quantum information science as a central field of modern physics.

Technology and applications

Quantum information science has led to new technologies:

Modern quantum computers can now exceed 100 qubits, though challenges such as quantum decoherence and error rates remain significant.[5]

Scientific impact

The quantum information era reshaped both physics and computer science:

  • Information is now viewed as a physical entity
  • Computational limits are redefined by quantum mechanics
  • New mathematical fields such as quantum complexity theory have emerged

The discovery that quantum computers could break classical encryption systems led to the development of post-quantum cryptography.[6]

See also

Table of contents (217 articles)

Index

Full contents

References

  1. ↑ Watrous, John (2018). The Theory of Quantum Information. Cambridge University Press. 
  2. ↑ Nielsen, Michael A.; Chuang, Isaac L. (2010). Quantum Computation and Quantum Information. Cambridge University Press. 
  3. ↑ Bub, Jeffrey (2023). "Quantum Entanglement and Information". Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 
  4. ↑ Shor, Peter W.. "Polynomial-Time Algorithms for Prime Factorization and Discrete Logarithms on a Quantum Computer". SIAM Review. 
  5. ↑ Schlosshauer, Maximilian (2019). "Quantum decoherence". Physics Reports. 
  6. ↑ Bernstein, Daniel J. (2025), Post-quantum Cryptography 


Author: Harold Foppele


Source attribution: Physics:Quantum information science

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