11th April 2006: "Codes, Computers and Quantum Physics"

On its invention the idea of the Quantum Computer - a machine which processes information according to the laws of quantum mechanics - seemed no more than an intriguing exercise in theoretical physics, and certainly not something that would be of practical use even if it could be built.

With the realization several years later that such a device would be capable of cracking the most secure cryptography systems on which banks, the military, and internet security depend, the challenge was on to build a real device. Dr. David Lucas will give a brief introduction to the fundamentals of quantum computing, and describe progress in demonstrating the first quantum bits, bytes and gates in what looks set to be the most promising technology - the ion trap.

Come along and join us at 7pm in Blackwells Main Bookshop, Broad Street, Oxford.
No ticket, no booking, no scientific background required.