SAASST News

Saturday, 13 March 2021 20:01

What is Quantum Computing?

As part of its program to enhance astronomy education, the Sharjah Academy for Astronomy, Space Sciences, and Technology organized a lecture on "What is Quantum Computing?" on Mar. 10, 2021. The lecture was given by Ms. Noora Al-Ameri, a SAASST research assistant at the High Energy Astrophysics Laboratory. Ms. Noora started her lecture with a comparison between a classical and a quantum computer. Quantum computers are machines

that use the properties of quantum physics to store data and perform computations. This can be highly advantageous for specific tasks where they could vastly outperform even our best supercomputers. Classical computers, including smartphones and laptops, encode information in binary "bits" that can either be 0s or 1s. In a quantum computer, the basic unit of memory is a quantum bit or qubit. Qubits are made using physical systems, such as the spin of an electron or a photon's orientation. These systems can be in many different arrangements all at once, a property known as quantum superposition. Qubits can also be inextricably linked together using a phenomenon called quantum entanglement. The result is that a series of qubits can represent different things simultaneously.

 

The online workshop was attended by many students, faculty members, and the general public. This special lecture can be checked online through the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjDTvoyxr6I