Distributed by Films Media Group, PO Box 2053, Princeton, New Jersey 08543-2053; 800-257-5126Produced by Derek Diorio/Electric SkyDirected by Chris Mullington2009, DVD, color, 52 min. This video attempts to provide a complete and popular (i.e. non-mathematical) survey of quantum physics from Schrödinger to the present day including quantum computation, wave/particle duality, entanglement, superposition, the EPR Paradox, Schrödinger’s Cat, the double slit experiment, and the “noisy observer effect”, all in 52 minutes. And that is precisely the problem. As the DVD case notes state, these topics “flash by like mile markers on this high-speed journey to the realm of quantum teleportation, quantum cryptography, and quantum computing.” Unfortunately, the mile markers are flashing by too quickly for anyone not already familiar with these advanced and often puzzling principles and will be oversimplified for anyone who is conversant with quantum theories. Hence, it is difficult to establish an audience for this video. There is a dizzying array of 18 quantum scientists narrating the video, making it difficult to concentrate on what they are saying, especially since most of them seem intent on speaking as fast as possible. The first three quarters of the video uses rapid cuts and dazzling graphics to the point that it seemed more like a music video than an instructional one. This reviewer is sympathetic to attempts to appeal to student culture, but the extremely fast cuts were unwatchable and incomprehensible at times. A great deal of effort was spent in developing some truly clever illustrations of these principles, using both live action and animation. If each mini-segment could have been slowed down to half its speed and expanded to provide a more thorough explanation, then each segment on its own could have been excellent. Just from the credits at the end of the video, a large production team clearly spent a lot of time making the video. Ironically, the best segment of the entire video is at the very end where it slows down significantly and focuses on quantum computing and its possible applications that could transform our science and our society. Instructors interested in a good, simple introduction to quantum computing might want to preview this last portion to see if it would be suitable for their needs. Public performance rights are included.
Distributed by Films Media Group, PO Box 2053, Princeton, New Jersey 08543-2053; 800-257-5126Produced by Derek Diorio/Electric SkyDirected by Chris Mullington2009, DVD, color, 52 min. This video attempts to provide a complete and popular (i.e. non-mathematical) survey of quantum physics from Schrödinger to the present day including quantum computation, wave/particle duality, entanglement, superposition, the EPR Paradox, Schrödinger’s Cat, the double slit experiment, and the “noisy observer effect”, all in 52 minutes. And that is precisely the problem. As the DVD case notes state, these topics “flash by like mile markers on this high-speed journey to the realm of quantum teleportation, quantum cryptography, and quantum computing.” Unfortunately, the mile markers are flashing by too quickly for anyone not already familiar with these advanced and often puzzling principles and will be oversimplified for anyone who is conversant with quantum theories. Hence, it is difficult to establish an audience for this video. There is a dizzying array of 18 quantum scientists narrating the video, making it difficult to concentrate on what they are saying, especially since most of them seem intent on speaking as fast as possible. The first three quarters of the video uses rapid cuts and dazzling graphics to the point that it seemed more like a music video than an instructional one. This reviewer is sympathetic to attempts to appeal to student culture, but the extremely fast cuts were unwatchable and incomprehensible at times. A great deal of effort was spent in developing some truly clever illustrations of these principles, using both live action and animation. If each mini-segment could have been slowed down to half its speed and expanded to provide a more thorough explanation, then each segment on its own could have been excellent. Just from the credits at the end of the video, a large production team clearly spent a lot of time making the video. Ironically, the best segment of the entire video is at the very end where it slows down significantly and focuses on quantum computing and its possible applications that could transform our science and our society. Instructors interested in a good, simple introduction to quantum computing might want to preview this last portion to see if it would be suitable for their needs. Public performance rights are included.
Quantum computing will likely change our world as we know it today. In bringing together fields such as quantum mechanics, mathematics, and computer science in their construction and application, quantum computers hold a promise of tremendous increase in processing power when compared to present day technology. For an educator, teaching this topic requires that consideration be given to the fact that quantum computing is not only based on hard-to-teach aspects of physics, math, and computing, but that quantum computing itself is still in the early stages of its development. What is certain is that concepts such as Shor’s and Grover’s algorithms have already been developed specifically for use with quantum computing. Both algorithms are the beneficiaries of quantum properties such as superposition and entanglement which are at the core of the new technology. This paper is presented in a bottom up structure starting with the explanation of the basic component, the qubit, before moving to superposition and entanglement and ending with a lucid explanation of both of the algorithms. Due to the complex nature of the topic, teaching this subject requires that certain measures be taken to teach all students at all levels and have them feel comfortable within themselves about the topic. The course is meant for anyone who wants to learn quantum computing. It is furthermore recommended that those attending have a blank slate so we start with new students. We would like to see a variety of students taking and passing the course, with that in mind, the explanations of the topics are done without employing an excessive amount of math common to other courses in quantum computing. The recommended approach for teaching is through the use of videos and a curriculum which is broken down so topics are made more general and the discussion of that effort is the main focus
Discover the foundations of quantum mechanics, and explore how these principles are powering a new generation of advances in quantum engineering, in this ground-breaking undergraduate textbook. It explains physical and mathematical principles using cutting-edge electronic, optoelectronic and photonic devices, linking underlying theory with real-world applications; focuses on current technologies and avoids historic approaches, getting students quickly up-to-speed to tackle contemporary engineering challenges; provides an introduction to the foundations of quantum information, and a wealth of real-world quantum examples, including quantum well infrared photodetectors, solar cells, quantum teleportation, quantum computing, band gap engineering, quantum cascade lasers, low-dimensional materials, and van der Waals heterostructures; and includes pedagogical features such as objectives and end-of-chapter homework problems to consolidate student understanding, and solutions for instructors. Designed to inspire the development of future quantum devices and systems, this is the perfect introduction to quantum mechanics for undergraduate electrical engineers and materials scientists.
This book provides a comprehensive and organized study of quantum technology, focusing on principles, mathematical foundations, and practical realizations of quantum teleportation and other processes in the field of quantum information. It starts with the basic principles of quantum mechanics (wave-particle duality, for instance) superposition and measurement theory all helping as the theoretical backbone of current quantum science. In addition to these basics, we provide a concise introduction and discussion of quantum energy or the quantization of energy levels, energy eigenstates and Planck’s constant, which determines what happens in microscopic systems allowing quantum theory an overlap with data from physical observables. Building on these principles, the book introduces quantum states and quantum entanglement, highlighting their non-classical correlations and their crucial role in facilitating quantum communication protocols. This book also discusses quantum gates and quantum circuits as the units of quantum computation and how quantum information is computed and manipulated by using controlled unitary operations. Also, it discusses the impact of both quantum decoherence and environmental noise which pose significant difficulties to coherent quantum systems and dependable information transmission. It discusses methods of error correction and coherence . This book further expanded to quantum cryptography and secure communications with more importance on protocols like quantum key distribution which make use of quantum principles to provide provable security. Quantum computing architectures and algorithms are also measured and various physical implementations and computational models that strive to produce scalable quantum processors are outlined. Problems and limitations of quantum teleportation are critically examined and these are, reliability issues, channel losses, scaling, and resource limitations. Lastly, the book ends by outlining the future of quantum technology, investigating the new technologies and opportunities, the possible advances, and the revolutionary use of quantum technologies in the fields of computation, communication and secure information processing.
The odd concepts of quantum physics are nearly a century old. They may seem difficult and forbidding at first sight, but the barrier to understanding is not their difficulty but their differentness . Unlike classical models, quantum theory does not attempt to simulate Nature. It gives us information about observations of Nature. But it does contain a “theoretical entity” that claims to contain all information, observation notwithstanding, namely the quantum state vector in Hilbert space. Scientists routinely use the language of Hilbert space, and nonscientists do not use it at all, which is understandable but unfortunate. A sort of baby-talk has become the lingua franca for much of the popular journalism of quantum physics, an awkward patois that combines some of the early groping language of Bohr, de Broglie, Schrödinger, and Heisenberg with more modern words about symmetries and states. Earnest amateurs still ask me about the mystery of Bohr orbits. There is no mystery because there are no orbits, except as historical curiosities. Same for “wave–particle duality.” Same for “quantum jumps.” A friend once asked me to address a philosophy seminar about the “paradoxes of quantum mechanics.” He said he had approached C. N. Yang first, who replied “What paradoxes?” There are some mathematical and logical rough spots in our current best theory of matter, and perhaps some of them can be framed as paradoxes. But the theory is actually rather straightforward, and it has a perfectly clear interpretation linked to experiments that, in their simplest form, anyone can perform (and students do routinely in college laboratories). No empirical observations are known that are inconsistent with the quantum framework.
Distributed by Films Media Group, PO Box 2053, Princeton, New Jersey 08543-2053; 800-257-5126Produced by Films for the Humanities and SciencesDirector n/a2006, DVD, color, 59 min. Scientific theories often are developed through sharing and debate. The Copenhagen Interpretation: Quantum Physics vs. Relativity, brings this process of introduction and improvement to life. The film is well-organized and well-executed. It begins with an engaging summary and then circles back to cover who the key players were, what they believed, and why it matters now. Primary sources such as voice recordings, newspaper clippings and direct quotes ("Let them believe in their tranquilizing religion; an inner voice tells me that it's not yet the real thing," says Albert Einstein) lend the content a sense of immediacy, and the scientists who provide context speak with clarity, precision and passion. The strength of this film lies in its ability to convey the richness of the process through which science advances. Viewers who watch from start to finish will be drawn in by the vigorous discussion inspired by Bohr's theory of quantum mechanics. His ideas were disputed by some of his peers, and their arguments helped him understand where clarification was needed. The film is not suited to segmented viewing in the classroom. Because it is not divided into chapters, instructors who wish to illustrate a point with a video clip will have to fast-forward and scan. In addition, it occasionally fails to provide a simple explanation for its science. For example, animated graphics clearly demonstrate Bohr's supposition that the act of measuring one particle affects the state of another particle--but the voice accompanying the graphics does not explain why this would happen. The Copenhagen Interpretation is recommended for students in senior high and college because it will give them a glimpse of the process of scientific development. It is so engaging that it may even inspire them to participate in the process themselves.