For those who want to work at the research front I'm going
to post links to sites that provide quantum computing ideas.
These posts will have the [quantum] label. Axiom can support
qubits as a type. It can implement Knill's architecture (i.e.
using a classical computer to control a quantum computer).
For those who need things to seem "useful" it appears that
quantum computers can find the group underlying the algorithms
at the heart of public key encryption. That implies that the whole
internet falls since things like site certificates depend on it. Axiom
(the author of Axiom's FF types) as well as links to background
There are implementations of quantum computing simulations
making it possible to run quantum programs on stock hardware.
which provides simulation of up to 22 qubits. Axiom could
implement such a simulation engine.
I've tried to implement some trivial algorithms there.
The Quipper language
is a Haskell-based language. Axiom actually provides more
features than the Haskell platform, such as dependent types,
which the Haskell implementation has to check at runtime.
Quipper is supported by DARPA. They have implemented
7 non-trivial quantum algorithms required by DARPA.
A good introduction is provided by Siddiqui, et al.
"Five Quantum Algorithms Using Quipper"
For a computer science background see
Mermin, David "Quantum Computer Science" 978-0-521-87658-2
This is research so there will be blind paths, speculation,
confusion, and all the usual fun without the unusual riches.
But that's what we "research rats" love.
Tim "research rat" Daly