An Overview of Quantum Information Systems

In this presentation, an overview of Quantum Information Systems is given. Therefore, the postulates of quantum mechanics are given based on one interpretation that is called the Copenhagen interpretation. The main pillars of quantum mechanics are: Superposition, Interference, and Entanglement. Quantum Information Systems comprise three disciplines: Quantum Computation, Quantum Communication, and Quantum Control. Each one of them has a number of topics with some implementations that have reached the commercial level. Quantum Computation has three models: the circuit model that is using different techniques like superconducting elements and special Silicon-based elements. The Adiabatic quantum model has reached the commercial stage through a start-up company using superconducting chips. The categorical quantum model is based on category theory and one of its main applications is the study and verification of network and cryptographic protocols. Quantum communication started with defining the basic unit of information, the qubit. Then the quantum compression theorem was proved. The quantum channel capacity problem was divided into two problems: transmitting classical information over a quantum channel, and transmitting quantum information over a quantum channel. The first problem was partially resolved. However, the second problem is being researched upon. Two applications will be briefly presented: quantum teleportation and superdense coding. Both of them employs quantum entanglement. Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) using cryptographic protocols has received much attention due its importance in network security. A number of protocols have been proposed and some of them have been implemented, and now a number of commercial products have been announced. Also, some experimental networks have been implemented. QKD using space links have been proposed and experimented with. In few years quantum satellites will be launched. Quantum cryptographic protocols are being proposed to protect infrastructure networks like the electric power grid. Also, it is being used as a countermeasure against global spying networks like ECHELON that are detrimental for national economies. The Quantum Internet is also being considered using quantum teleportation together with Cavity Quantum Electrodynamics with some experimental work going on. Quantum Control is essential for both Quantum Computation and Quantum Communication. Intensive research is going on in: State estimation (called Quantum State Tomography), system identification (called Quantum Process Tomography), and Quantum Feedback Control. The basic concepts will be briefly considered in this presentation. University education has witnessed major changes to support the above developments. At the postgraduate level many universities offer many courses related to the above disciplines. Recently, a number of institutions started to offer undergraduate courses and some of them have even started to introduce Quantum Engineering 4 years undergraduate programs. A brief account will be given to such developments.