Level 1, Curious

Qubit

These two amplitudes, about +0.71 beside 0 and about +0.71 beside 1, are the choice a qubit carries. A measurement turns them into one ordinary bit, with an equal chance of either reading.

A qubit, short for quantum bit, stores a choice in a small physical system such as two energy levels of an atom or the spin of an electron. It carries two amplitudes instead of a switch position, and a measurement turns those amplitudes into one ordinary bit.

Keith told a visitor the qubit was a switch stuck halfway between on and off. Malcolm put a number beside 0 and a number beside 1, and would not continue until both had been squared.

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