Quantum mechanics can affect the communication and processing of information in profound new ways. In particular, it is thought that a quantum computer can be dramatically more powerful than current classical ones for certain tasks. Quantum information science has its early roots in investigations of the foundations of quantum mechanics. The development of new experimental tools including the laser has also played an important role in spurring interest in the control of quantum systems. However, the theoretical discovery of quantum algorithms that are more efficient than their classical counterparts, for example the quantum factoring algorithm discovered by Peter Shor in 1994~([1]), has motivated strong interest in quantum computation. The goal of realizing a quantum computer has galvanized scientists and engineers in multiple disciplines with a wide range of potential technologies being pursued~(~([2])).
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