Glossary
130 quantum computing terms, each explained in a comic. 39 are free to read here; the rest are in the books.
Calibration
A quantum computer is an instrument that constantly falls out of tune.
October 4, 2026
Code Distance
Quantum information cannot be protected by copying.
October 18, 2026
Computational Basis
A classical bit is defined by its two possible states: 0 or 1.
October 25, 2026
Controlled Not Gate
The CNOT (Controlled-NOT) gate is the standard two-qubit gate in quantum computing.
July 26, 2026
Qiskit
Qiskit is an open-source quantum software development kit created by IBM.
June 28, 2026
Quantum Chemistry
Molecules are quantum mechanical objects.
November 1, 2026
Quantum Compiler
A quantum compiler translates a quantum algorithm, expressed as a sequence of abstract gates, into a form that specific quantum hardware can execute.
August 23, 2026
Quantum Error Correction
A simplistic view of the progression of quantum computers has three stages, each with a question: Stage 1: Can quantum computers be built at all, regardless of the quantity and quality of qubits?
April 12, 2026
Quantum Hype
Imagine walking through an auto show and seeing a sleek, glowing concept car.
March 22, 2026
Quantum Key Distribution
Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) is the most mature application of quantum cryptography.
May 31, 2026
Quantum Measurement
Carpenters say "measure twice, cut once." Quantum physicists would say "measure once, and whatever you had is gone." Measurement in quantum mechanics isn't a gentle peek at what's inside.
April 26, 2026
Quantum Middleware
A quantum developer writing code today faces a fragmented hardware landscape.
August 30, 2026
Quantum Phase Estimation
Quantum Phase Estimation (QPE) is an algorithm that extracts a hidden angle, called a phase, from a quantum operation.
May 17, 2026
Quantum Sensing
The same fragility that makes quantum computing so difficult to build makes quantum systems extraordinarily useful as sensors.
July 5, 2026
Quantum Simulation
In 1981, physicist Richard Feynman pointed out a fundamental mismatch in computer science.
July 19, 2026
Quantum Speedup
Quantum computing is not a faster version of classical computing.
July 12, 2026
Quantum Superposition
In everyday life, things have definite states.
March 15, 2026
Quantum Teleportation
Quantum teleportation transfers the exact quantum state of one particle to another particle at a distant location, without physically moving anything between them.
May 3, 2026
Qubit – A Quantum Bit
A regular computer stores everything as bits, and each bit is either a 0 or a 1.
March 1, 2026
Schrödinger’s Cat
In 1935, physicist Erwin Schrödinger proposed a thought experiment to show how strange quantum mechanics really is.
March 8, 2026
Stabilizers
The fundamental paradox of quantum error correction is that you cannot look at your data.
September 6, 2026
Surface Codes
The surface code is the most widely studied quantum error correction scheme, and for good reason: it has a high error threshold (approximately 1% for standard noise models), meaning it can tolerate relatively noisy physical qubits compared to other codes.
June 21, 2026
What is “Quantum Advantage”?
Quantum advantage is the point where a quantum computer can solve a specific problem faster or better than even the most powerful traditional (classical) computers in the world.
February 22, 2026
World Quantum Day
You probably know about Pi Day on March 14th.
April 14, 2026
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