Quantum Coding

Dr Pender recently delivered his second lecture in the series about coding and quantum computing.

His first talk to the Year 10 Athenaeum explored the world of encryption — from simple cyphers to one-time pad systems, through Enigma machines to the use of modern computers. He explained the basis on which encryption security rests and concluded with some tantalising glimpses into why the quantum world may hold game-changing possibilities.

In the second talk, a discussion of the nature of light, wave or particle, and an exploration of the double-split experiment further unpacked the “spooky nature” of the quantum world. It was explained how the phenomenon of quantum entanglement — in which particles separated by distance can still, in some mysterious way, be linked — is rather like a multi-directional or multi-dimensional pad system. This process could form a means of encryption that brute computing power cannot break.

All of these complex ideas were explained with admirable clarity, leaving the students with much to ponder.