Quantum Information

In calling for papers we are guided by two remarkable aspects of the subfield of Quantum Information Science (QIS): (i) Like thermodynamics, motivated and driven by practical concerns, it uncovers new foundational principles, and (ii) it provides a conceptual framework that unifies and changes the way we think about other subfields.

(i) QIS has led to the refinement and enlargement of principles of both information theory and quantum mechanics, outside of its own boundaries where the two essentially overlap. It has opened new windows and suggested deeper foundational principles for statistical mechanics. It has given new meaning to the second law of thermodynamics. Intimate connections are being found with gravity and the structure of space–time.

(ii) Regarding practical applications, QIS has produced breakthroughs in metrology. Quantum cryptographic devices are now produced and sold commercially, while more advanced schemes continue to be discovered. QIS has spawned new methods in quantum chemistry and in correlated many-body systems. QIS is useful in addressing questions regarding the role of quantum coherence in biological systems. Last but not least, recent years show increasing optimism that the goal of scalable quantum computation is attainable within some of our lifetimes.

The above lists are not comprehensive, and surely QIS will produce results and applications that we cannot now anticipate, but the lists show that QIS has a special place in this journal, in no small part because of its roots and intimate connection with thermodynamics.

The journal Entropy is an excellent venue for authors wishing to reach a diverse and multidisciplinary audience, particularly an audience straddling QIS and any of those subfields listed above. A general goal of this section of the journal is to illustrate how QIS has impacted the way we think about other subfields. We especially encourage authors to submit papers that do this. Download Section Flyer