Quantum computers use quantum mechanical properties to perform computations and store data. Different from the conventional computers, which encode information in classical bits that can be either 0s or 1s, quantum computers encode information in quantum bits, or qubits. Based on the superposition property of the quantum system, a qubit can be in different possible states simultaneously, until being measured and collapsed. Therefore, quantum computers have more advantages for parallel computing compared with conventional computers.
Our research group is exploring the possibilities of using the quantum computing technique to simulate fluid motions. By combining the knowledge of nonlinear partial differential equations and the property of quantum unitary gates, we are trying to develop a quantum circuit for solving the Navier-Stokes equations with an exponential speedup.