Common Myths about Quantum - Part 1

I’ve been a participating member of the quantum community since the early 2000s. First as a student, and now as a trained experimental quantum physicist. And the number one question I get asked is “What IS Quantum?!” Sometimes it’s easier to start by defining what Quantum is not… Here are some common myths about quantum I’ve encountered.

Myth: Quantum computing is AI

Quantum computing is not AI! AI (artificial intelligence) is a more sophisticated form of classical computing that teaches the machine how to learn like a human mind. It’s in the field of machine learning where the system has ​​the ability to reason, discover meaning, generalize, or learn from past experience. If you have interacted with ChatGPT, then you have interacted with AI.

Quantum Computing is based on using a physical process or system that is quantum (i.e. atoms/ions, photons, superconducting circuits, etc.) to do the calculations. These quantum bits (qubits) have quantum properties, like being able to exist in a superposition of two states at the same time. 

On the other hand, your classical computer encodes binary information as voltage levels. For example, a low voltage (0V to 0.3V) is assigned a ‘0’ and a high voltage (0.7V to 1V) is a ‘1’. A range is used instead of an exact value because sometimes there are small variations in the voltage levels. But the bits can only exist in a state of 0 or 1… If the bit value is ever in between 0 and 1 (i.e. 0.5V), it’s counted as an error. A classical computer doesn’t know what to do with a bit that isn’t 0 or 1. 

Whereas a qubit can exist in a superposition state of 0 and 1 because this is something that happens naturally in the quantum world. We can harness this property to encode information and perform calculations that are not possible with a classical computer, like Shor’s algorithm.

Myth: Quantum entanglement can be used for faster than light communication

Quantum entanglement does not mean information can be transferred faster than the speed of light. Entanglement is a special property that exists in the quantum realm. It's a type of correlation that links two particles (or two particles of light called photons) together such that a measurement performed on one also affects its partner, no matter how far they are apart. Experiments so far involving quantum satellites have shown this effect to be instantaneous over even 1200 km, with entangled particles appearing to communicate faster than the speed of light, which has always been thought to be the fastest speed in the universe. 

Well it turns out that there is a speed limit on the information highway, and quantum entanglement is allowed to break it because no useful information is being transferred. For example, in Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), you also need classical communication between the two parties, which travels at the speed of light, to establish the encryption key. The measurement result from the collapsed entangled state is only part of the information you need to make your key.

Myth: Quantum Computing means the end of all current forms of encryption

The invention of a Quantum Computer does not mean the end to all current forms of encryption. Only that certain forms of encryption are potentially vulnerable to quantum computer attacks, such as those widely used to secure data on the internet (i.e. RSA and ECC). These encryption methods are based on factorizing large numbers, which is hard for a classical computer but fairly easy for a quantum computer, thanks to Shor’s algorithm. 

The reason I say ‘potentially vulnerable’ to attack is because we don’t really know what a quantum computer is capable of until we have a fully functioning one, which does not currently exist. There are currently for sale quantum systems that are capable of running specific types of quantum algorithms. So we are not far away from the full version capable of universal quantum computing. 

Shor’s algorithm was conceived in 1994, well before we had any quantum computing systems. So we’ve known about this problem for a while, and the encryption community has been working on solutions. One possible solution is to create new encryption algorithms that are hard for quantum computers to hack.

Quantum computers aren’t better than classical computers at everything… There are some operations that are harder for a quantum computer than a classical one. We can design math problems that should be hard for both classical and quantum computers to solve. This is called Post Quantum Cryptography (PQC) and does not need quantum systems to operate; PQC runs on classical computers. However, the only truly 100% theoretically secure form of encryption is QKD.

Myth: Quantum is a future problem; I don’t need to worry about it now. Someone else will figure it out for me.

Quantum is not a future problem anymore, it’s a now problem. This has been demonstrated by governments around the world announcing their Quantum Readiness plans to start preparing their nations for the quantum revolution. One of the first steps is quantum education. Someone else won’t figure it out for you; don’t get caught behind the curve and left vulnerable to quantum attacks. 

The need for better encryption now is also evident by the increasing number of cyber attacks being carried out using classical computers. They don’t even need a quantum computer! Some recent targets include MGM Resorts (USA), Suncor Energy / Petro-Canada, Canada Border Service Agency, theme parks in Mexico, a state-owned health insurance company in the Philippines, universities in Belgium and New Zealand, and several hospitals/healthcare providers including the North Mississippi Health Services (USA). Healthcare data is some of the most valuable data and needs the highest level of protection, both in transmission and during storage.

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