Introduction to Quantum Physics and Information Processing

An Elementary Guide to the State of the Art in the Quantum Information Field

Introduction to Quantum Physics and Information Processing guides beginners in understanding the current state of research in the novel, interdisciplinary area of quantum information. Suitable for undergraduate and beginning graduate students in physics, mathematics, or engineering, the book goes deep into issues of quantum theory without raising the technical level too much.

The text begins with the basics of quantum mechanics required to understand how two-level systems are used as qubits. It goes on to show how quantum properties are exploited in devising algorithms for problems that are more efficient than the classical counterpart. It then explores more sophisticated notions that form the backbone of quantum information theory.

Requiring no background in quantum physics, this text prepares readers to follow more advanced books and research material in this rapidly growing field. Examples, detailed discussions, exercises, and problems facilitate a thorough, real-world understanding of quantum information.

Preliminaries: Introduction. A Simple Quantum System. Theoretical Framework: The Essentials of Quantum Mechanics. Mixed States, Open Systems, and the Density Operator. Computation Models and Computational Complexity. Quantum Computation: Quantum Gates and Circuits. Quantum Algorithms. Quantum Information: Information and Communication. Quantum Error Correction. Characterization of Quantum Information.

Radhika Vathsan is an associate professor in the Department of Physics at BITS Pilani, Goa Campus. She earned a PhD in theoretical physics from the Institute of Mathematical Sciences Chennai and did her postdoc work at Harish Chandra Research Institute Allahabad. Her research interests include mathematical physics, many-body physics, high-energy physics, quantum computation and information, and foundations of quantum mechanics.