Quantum computing is the field of study focused on creating computer technology on the basis of quantum theory which expresses the nature and behavior of matter on the quantum level. Many countries like Israel, the USA, China, Europe and Australia are among the ones that have already invested millions of dollars in research of quantum information and technologies. Paul Benioff originated the essential elements of quantum computing while working at the Argonne National Labs (USA) in 1981. However, it is generally accepted that David Deutsch of Oxford University came up with the critical impetus for quantum computing. 

Quantum Computing

1. Quantum computing is a subfield of physics that focuses on developing computer technology based on the concepts of quantum mechanics, which describes the behavior of energy and matter at the atomic and subatomic scales.
2. Today’s conventional computers can only encode data in bits. It limits their capability. It requires either one or zero.
3. On the other hand, quantum computing makes use of quantum bits or qubits. It makes use of the extraordinary power of subatomic particles. It enables them to exist in several states, i.e. 1 and 0, simultaneously, unlike conventional computers.
4. Quantum computers are based on two properties of quantum physics called superposition and entanglement. It enables quantum computers to perform functions tenfold faster and with far less energy usage than traditional computers.
5. Quantum computing has the potential to make a significant contribution to space science, disaster management, finance, cyber security, military affairs, intelligence, drug discovery and design, aerospace design, utilities (nuclear fusion), polymer design, artificial intelligence (AI) and big data analysis, and digital manufacturing.
6. Google, in 2019 declared that it had achieved “Quantum Supremacy” or the ability to solve a problem fast with a quantum computer. Whereas, It would have taken an impractically long time (thousands of years) to solve it on a typical computer.
7. IBM promptly refused Google’s claim by saying that their typical supercomputers can solve the issue in a matter of days, not thousands of years, as stated by Google.

Benefits & Applications of Quantum Computing

1. Disaster Management

• Early and timely collection of climate data may help reduce catastrophes in their initial stages. This is one of the benefits as well as an application of quantum computing
• Significant influence on agriculture’s food technology chains, resulting in the loss of cropland

2. Secure communication

• Satellites
• Military purposes
• Cyber security
• Internet of Things, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence

3. Research

• The benefits of quantum computing are Biological research such as genome sequencing and tailored medicine delivery
• Exploration of the universe, gravitational waves, and black holes, among other topics

Challenges of Quantum Computing

• Skill development related to new tech
• Ethical Concerns: Replacement of humans by advanced machines
• Massive unemployment and Data security concerns
• Huge investments in R&D and Infra

Following Steps were taken in India:

1. National Mission on Quantum Technologies
2. QUEST is an acronym for Quantum Enabled Science and Technology.
3. Budget 2020 includes a plan for an expenditure of Rs. 8000 crore over the next five years for a National Mission on Quantum Technologies and Applications.
4. ISRO and the Raman Scientific Institute are collaborating to build a secure quantum communication system for space and National Mission on Quantum Technologies
5. India’s major educational institutions, including numerous IITs, IIITs, and IISERs, have partnered with IBM to advance teaching and research in quantum computing.
6. IBM will make its quantum systems available through the cloud to India’s top-tier universities, accelerating advanced training and research in quantum computing.
7. This collaboration involves faculty and students from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) in Pune, the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bangalore, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Jodhpur, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Kanpur, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Kharagpur, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Madras, the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) in Kolkata, the Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology (IIIT).
8. They will have educational and research access to IBM quantum systems, quantum learning resources, and quantum tools through the IBM Cloud. This will enable them to research real quantum computers and programme them using the open-source Qiskit framework.

Conclusion 

Quantum computing, which is similar to artificial intelligence, created a wave of race amongst the top tech giants to develop a commercially viable quantum computer. The development of a quantum computer would be a major step ahead of that of a modern-day computer as the quantum computer has vast processing power and it can perform tasks using all permutations simultaneously. For instance, to sort large numbers, a quantum computer would take approximately 3.5 million fewer steps than a standard machine. Quantum computing has major use in disaster management, research, and commercial use in industries (Finance, chemical, automobile, pharmaceutical, biotechnology etc).