10 Foundational Principles of Quantum Computing – Part II

Quantum systems exist in a state of superposition until observed. Imagine a particle is moving through a setup with two magnets. These magnets can change the direction of the particle based on its “spin”. If the spin points to the left, the particle goes to the left detector. If the spin points to the right, the particle goes to the right detector. But if the spin is pointing straight up, something strange happens! The particle is in a special quantum state where it can go both left and right at the same time, like it is in two places at once. We refer to this as quantum superposition.