Optical quantum computing

Dongyang Wang, Junjie Wu, Xun Yi

Abstract: Quantum computing offers a much more efficient way of computation than its classical counterpart, due to the specific characters in quantum mechanics. To realize quantum computers, one must find a specific physical system as a platform. Available systems include atoms, electrons, ions, photons and so on. Photons are easier to manipulate and have a better coherence. This article studies on the basic concepts of optical quantum computing, and then introduces the optical implementation of Shor's quantum factoring algorithm, along with some other present applications, to show the promising future of optical quantum computing.