Quantum Mechanics, qubits, superposition & superconductors with Prof. Prabha Mandayam | BP2B S2 E11

ℹ️ EPISODE INFO

Released

October 10, 2025

Duration

1h 11m

Channel

Best Place To Build

Watch on YouTube

▶ Open ↗

📝 EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Join Prof. Prabha Mandayam on the Best Place to Build Podcast for a deep dive into how a Quantum Computer differ from a Classical Computer. What are Qubits, Quantum States, and Quantum Algorithms? How are Shor’s Algorithm and Grover’s Algorithm changing the future of computing? With this episode, we welcome you to step into the world of Quantum Processors, Quantum Gates, and cutting-edge concepts such as Entanglement, Decoherence, and Quantum Error Correction. What You’ll Learn:

• The difference between a Classical Bit and a Quantum Bit (Qubit)
• How Transistors and Binary Operations paved the way for modern computing
• Types of Qubits: Superconducting Qubits, Photonic Qubits, Trapped Ion Qubits, Neutral Atom Qubits
• The challenge of Noise, Decoherence, and why Error Correction matters
• How Quantum Communication, Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), and Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) are shaping the future of cybersecurity
• Emerging fields like Quantum Sensing and Variational Quantum Algorithms

Tech giants like Google and IBM, along with research hubs such as IIT Madras, are pushing the boundaries of quantum innovation. Who will win the race to build a practical Quantum Processor? Whether you’re a beginner curious about the basics or a tech enthusiast exploring advanced Quantum Computing concepts, this episode breaks it down in simple, clear terms. Check out Prof. Prabha’s NPTEL lecture here: https://nptel.ac.in/courses/106106232 Department of Physics, IIT Madras: https://physics.iitm.ac.in/academics/engineeringphysics.html Head over to your favourite chapter here: 00:00 Introduction 00:50 Welcome to BP2B 01:30 Introducing Prof Prabha Mandayam 02:05 What is Quantum Computing? 05:00 Quantum Mechanics visualised 15:00 The Origin of Quantum Mechanics Studies - Photonics 101 16:20 The History of Quantum Mechanics | Algorithms Explained 22:00 What is Quantum Decoherence? 26:15 Google & IBM’s Experiments With Quantum Computation 31:50 Classical v/s Quantum Error Corrections 33:33 The No-Cloning Theory 37:50 Will We All Have Quantum Computers in Our Hands? 40:00 The Maths Behind it All 42:30 Variational Quantum Algorithms 44:50 The Interdisciplinary Nature of Quantum Computational Studies 49:30 Quantum Research in India 55:20 How Did Prof Prabha Get into Quantum Mechanics? 01:04:05 Do Women Pursue Quantum Computing Studies? 01:10:00 Closing Thoughts

🎤 SPEAKERS

• Prabha Mandayam

  guest

🧾 EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Best Place To Build, featuring Prabha Mandayam, Quantum Mechanics, qubits, superposition & superconductors with Prof. Prabha Mandayam | BP2B S2 E11 explores quantum computing basics, hardware progress, and India’s path forward today Prof. Prabha Mandayam explains qubits via the Bloch-sphere intuition—superposition expands information states beyond classical 0/1 and enables certain algorithmic speedups.

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