Wordtrade.com
Physics

SCHRODINGER’S MACHINES: The Quantum Technology Reshaping Everyday Life by Gerard J. Milburn (W.H. Freeman) 0-7167-3106-1

A description of the world in which an object can apparently be in more than one place at the same time, in which a particle can penetrate a barrier without breaking it, in which widely separated particles can cooperate in an almost psychic fashion, is bound to be both thrilling and bemusing. Niels Bohr, one of the founders of the theory, once remarked that anybody who is not shocked by quantum mechanics hasn't understood it. —Paul Davies, from the Foreword

The most successful scientific theory in history, quantum mechanics has already ushered in the information age. Now new developments in the field offer breathtaking possibilities for the future. As Niels Bohr, one of the theories founders, once remarked, "Anyone who is not shocked by quantum mechanics hasn't understood it."
For anyone who wants to understand and be shocked by quantum theory, Gerard Milburn's Schrodinger's Machines is the perfect place to start. An eminent quantum physicist, Milburn describes a world where an object can apparently be in two places at once, where a particle can penetrate a barrier without breaking it, and in which widely separated particles can cooperate without communicating.
What will all this lead to? How about molecular-sized machines, new and exotic materials, detectors sensitive enough to pick up the sound of a pin dropping on the other side of the earth, and quantum computers that can process information in alternative realities thus creating a whole new type of mathematics. As fantastical as these ideas seem to us, many of them will be with us as we enter the twenty-first century, transforming our lives in ways hard to imagine. An
advanced preview of the strange new world ahead of us, Schrodinger's Machines is a must read for anyone interested in the future.

Contents:
Figures
Acknowledgments
Preface
1. QUANTUM ROULETTE
Two-up with qubits (not two bits)
Quantum billiards
2. ATOMIC CALLIGRAPHY
Quantum tunneling
A new technology is born
Atom-craft
3. PRISONERS OF LIGHT
How low can we go?
The force of light
Light up and chill out
Atom traps
Atom optics
Devices and desires
4. QUANTUM NANOCIRCUITS
Electricity by gaslight
Electron pinball
The silicon century
2DEG, 1DEG, 0DEG
Quantised conductance
Quantum dots
The SET
QUIT
5. QUANTUM CRYPTOGRAPHY
Privacy and security in the digital age
Qubits and the Heisenberg conspiracy The quantum protocol
6. THE QUANTUM COMPUTER
Information costs
The 3G-pc
Reversible computation
Quantum computers
The square root of NOT
Beat the market with a quantum computer
Epilogue
Bibliography
Index

A wonderfully well-informed book. Gerard Milburn tackles a difficult subject with beautiful clarity; it is quite remarkable how well he is able to communicate what is often regarded as pretty arcane material to readers with little background knowledge or mathematical expertise.

The volume is so enthralling that Milburn creates the illusion that the quantum world will become the new common sense. And what now seems strange will be the backbone of our communications revolution.

Headline 3

insert content here

WT Main | About WT | Review Links | Contact | Review Sources | Search