Quantum Computation and Quantum Information

This text is a comprehensive introduction to the main ideas and techniques of the field of quantum computation and quantum information. Until now, the rapid rate of progress and its cross-disciplinary nature have made it difficult for newcomers to the field to obtain a broad overview of the most important techniques and results. Michael Nielsen and Isaac Chuang ask the question : what are the ultimate physical limits to computation and communication ? They describe in detail such remarkable effects as fast quantum algorithms, quantum teleportation, quantum cryptography, and quantum error-correction. A wealth of accompanying figures and exercises illustrate and develop the material in more depth. A special feature is the tutorial introductions to quantum mechanics and computer science included in Part I of the book, ensuring that the subject is accessible even without a back-ground in physics or computer science. In Part II, the authors present quantum computation, and describe what a quantum computer is, how it can be used to solve problems faster than familiar 'classical' computers, and the real-world implementation of quantum computers. Part III concludes the book with an in-depth treatment of quantum information, explaining how quantum states can be used to perform remarkable feats of communication, together with a discussion of how it is possible to protect quantum states against the effects of noise. This exciting text will be of interest to beginning graduate students and researchers in physics, computer science, mathematics, and electrical engineering with an interest in quantum computation and quantum information, and may be used as a text in courses on the subject.