Privacy through Uncertainty: Quantum Encryption

I was recently asked to comment for a BBC article whether quantum computing was “just around the corner”. Did I see quantum computers being here in 5 years? I don’t. But, being ever the optimist, I pointed out that the history of technology demonstrates that new technologies tend to emerge in combination with existing technologies. I felt that quantum effects would most probably be harnessed in computing in exactly this way. It’s only in retrospect that we tend to think of some area of technology as a “leap forward”. In reality, progress comprises a series of small steps; more evolution than revolution. And so I think it will be with quantum information technology.