quantum computer

American  

noun

1. a computer that makes use of the quantum states of electrons or other particles to store and process information as quantum bits.

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quantum computer British  

noun

1. a type of computer which uses the ability of quantum systems to be in many different states at once, thus allowing it to perform many different computations simultaneously

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quantum computer Scientific  

1. A computer that exploits the quantum mechanical properties of superposition in order to allow a single operation to act on a large number of pieces of data. In a quantum computer, the data to be manipulated, represented in quantum bits, exists in all possible states simultaneously, in superposition. This allows a single operation to operate over all of these states at once, in contrast with a classical computer, which must carry out an operation for each state separately. Because of the difficulty of creating environments small enough for quantum effects to emerge but sufficiently isolated to prevent interaction with outside influences such as heat, only extremely rudimentary quantum computers currently exist, though algorithms for possible future devices are being developed.

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Other Word Forms

• quantum computing
  noun

Etymology

Origin of quantum computer

First recorded in 1980–85

Example Sentences

In this case, the data is first processed by a quantum computer, which identifies key statistical patterns that remain stable over time.

From Science Daily • Apr. 17, 2026

This means each quantum computer has to operate on its own.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

China’s 15th Five-Year Plan targets widespread quantum computer availability by 2030, backed by an estimated $16 billion in state support.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

The prize, then, for the company that is first to build a reliable quantum computer at scale is potentially enormous.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

Last week Google set 2029 as a potential milestone for a future quantum computer that can break current encryption for crypto.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026