105. A quantum computer would store information, not as strings of ones and zeros as in a ‘classical’ computer, but as a series of quantum mechanical states. Quantum physics allows particles to be in more than one state at a time, so that it is possible for a particle in a quantum computer to hold more than one bit of information, referred to as a ‘qubit’. The quantum computer would allow very fast parallel computing capability. A functional quantum computer is still beyond the grasp of current technology, and many obstacles must be overcome before a usable computer can be built. A major problem is that slight outside disruption, e.g. heat or light, will cause a system to lose its quantum coherence, while the very process of retrieving results would also upset the coherence.

106. Importance: Integer factorization is believed to be computationally infeasible with an ordinary computer for large integers that are the product of only a few prime numbers (e.g., products of two 300-digit primes). By comparison, a quantum computer could efficiently solve this problem using Shor's algorithm to find its factors. This ability would allow a quantum computer to "break" many of the cryptographic systems in use today.

107. Data storage media will need to improve to keep pace with computer processing power, and may be achieved via optical disk technologies and applications of parallelism. Promising areas involve the use of holographic memory, offering 64 billion bits storage capacity on a laser activated crystal the size of a compact disk. Holographic data storage captures information using an optical inference pattern within a thick, photosensitive optical material. Light from a single laser beam is divided into two separate beams, a reference beam and an object or signal beam; a spatial light modulator is used to encode the object beam with the data for storage. An optical inference pattern results from the crossing of the beams’ paths, creating a chemical and/or physical change in the photosensitive medium; the resulting data is represented in an optical pattern of dark and light pixels. By adjusting the reference beam angle, wavelength, or media position, a multitude of holograms (theoretically, several thousand) can be stored on a single volume.

108. Importance: The theoretical limits for the storage density of this technique are approximately tens of per cubic centimeter. In addition, holographic data storage can provide companies a method to preserve and archive information. The write-once, read many (WORM) approach to data storage would ensure content security, preventing the information from being overwritten or modified. Manufacturers believe this technology can provide safe storage for content without degradation for more than 50 years, far exceeding current data storage options.