Coming soon — Father of all supercomputers

Computational efficiency would also be enhanced tremendously so that problems like data mining or searching large database that require minutes in present computers can be done in seconds, he added.

Sudarshan said another major advantage would be the availability of same information at two places which is not possible with the present set of computers. For example, if only one copy of a film is available it cannot be viewed at two places simultaneously – a task that would be achievable by Quantum computers.

Sudarshan said, "Though beaming up a person (as is shown in television serial Star Trek) will not be possible in the near future, secured beaming up of information to a number of places will be the most likely application of the Quantum computer."

"These computers will look very different from the existing computers that consist of a monitor, processing unit and keyboard. It may look like a tiny box with facilities to cool atoms at sub-zero temperature," the scientist explained.

The problem faced by cartographers in translating three-dimensional location on two dimensional papers would be solved by these computers, Sudarshan, who has done pioneering work in particle physics, said.

Comparing Quantum computers with the supercomputer, he said supercomputers depend on "parallel processing" whereas in the first case a large number of processing can be done all at a go making it more powerful than parallel computing.

"It is like copying a document by typing and xeroxing. A document can be copied by engaging typists to type it or photocopying. If the first process, which is obviously slower, is parallel processing the second one is Quantum computing".

These computers will use the most esoteric area of physics called "quantum mechanics" to solve all kinds of complex problems, he said. Instead of binary bits (zero and one in normal computers or supercomputers) Quantum computers used "Q-bit" which is a superposition of zero and one. These "spooky" Q-bits can be realised by cooling atoms at sub-zero temperature which is feasible with modern technology, he added.