Towards Practical Quantum Computers

Quantum computers promise a dramatic speedup over classical computers in several important applications, from code breaking to the simulation of complex molecular dynamics in chemistry. Research over the last two decades has progressed from blue-sky thinking about a plethora of possible implementations to a smaller set of promising technology platforms. During this time, the theoretical architecture has evolved from the intuitive circuit model of quantum computation into highly sophisticated computational models designed to facilitate the constraints and requirements of physical implementations. As a result, quantum computers are becoming a reality. In this Special Topic collection, organized by Pieter Kok and Philippe Bouyer, we collect reviews on the various technology platforms for quantum computing, as well as reviews on the way we currently view quantum computer architectures.

Guest Editor: Pieter Kok