Quantic information and its impact on information systems

What’s the secret to creating a truly unbreakable code or a vastly powerful computer? One answer is quantum information. Javier Cerrillo is developing new ways—such as laser cooling—to engineer stable quantum registers, which are the keys to quantum information processing and technologies that promise to transform fields ranging from security to communications. For instance, in traditional cryptography, a powerful computer can render any transaction insecure. Quantum keys, however, can secure corporate or financial transactions in such a way that they cannot be eavesdropped by a third party, no matter how mighty his/her computational resources. “Quantum information processing and computing are bound to have a deep effect on progress in our information-driven society,” Cerrillo says. “Virtually anyone can benefit from these developments.”