Using quantum mechanics to enhance information processing
Marius Nagy · 2012
The weird quantum mechanical effects governing the behavior of sub-atomic particles are about to revolutionize the way we perform computation and manipulate information. This thesis is a testimony to the indelible mark that quantum mechanics has already left on computer science. Specifically, we have investigated some of the consequences of manipulating information at the quantum level on data security, parallel processing, universality and computability. We have devised an efficient scheme for entanglement verification with direct applicability to key distribution protocols based on entanglement. We also showed how an approach exploiting the context of a qubit in the quantum Fourier transform can be successful in dealing with low levels of eavesdropping, by propagating the disruption through data dependency. The importance of parallelism for quantum information processing and its consequence on universality is demonstrated through a series of evolving computing paradigms for which only a parallel approach can guarantee a reliable solution. We also bring a necessary clarification to the much disputed problem regarding the comparison between the computational power of a quantum machine and that of a conventional computer.