Introduction to the Quantum-Classical Divide

In the realm of computing, a profound distinction exists between the quantum and classical worlds. Quantum computing, with its ability to manipulate and exploit the unique properties of quantum systems, has opened up new avenues for processing and analyzing information. However, this quantum realm is fundamentally different from the classical world of computing, where information is represented as binary digits (0s and 1s) and processed using logical operations.

At the heart of this distinction lies the concept of quantum hardware, where physical systems such as atoms, photons, and superconducting circuits are used to encode and manipulate quantum information. In contrast, classical software operates on abstract representations of information, using algorithms and data structures to process and transform binary data.

Hardware vs. Software: Quantum Reality

Quantum Hardware:

• Qubits exist as physical entities. These aren’t abstract numbers like in classical software. Instead, qubits are:
• Spin states (up/down in an electron's magnetic moment),
• Photon polarization (horizontal/vertical),
• Superconducting energy levels (current loops in quantum circuits). Each state physically exists and evolves within the quantum field.

Classical Software:

• Classical software is an abstraction. It uses binary decisions (0s and 1s) to control hardware like transistors. The hardware still fundamentally operates on physical electrical signals (current flowing in or out).

The key realization is that quantum computation is closer to hardware-level physics because it uses fundamental physical properties (like spin, phase, and entanglement) as its “bits.” Classical computation sits above this hardware layer, interpreting binary outcomes after collapse.

Planck-scale Qubits and Electricity

I feel it's absolutely necessary to introduce the Planck scale into this discussion. A quantum state is defined by its energy, frequency, and phase, and these are ultimately tied to physical limits like the Planck constant h:

• A single Planck-scale quantum event represents the smallest physical unit of change, a quantum “tick.”
• Electricity (charge flow) exists as discrete quanta of energy exchange (think photons in electromagnetic fields).
• In quantum hardware, it’s these physical interactions (spin-flip, photon emission, current oscillations) that encode and process information.

Quantum States: Spin Up and Spin Down

Let’s clarify a point I made on states being separate and distinct:

• Spin-up (∣↑?) and spin-down (∣↓?) are two unique physical states of an electron’s spin.
• They aren’t "superimposed" in the classical sense; rather, they coexist as possibilities within the quantum wavefunction.
• Superposition means the system exists in a weighted combination of these distinct states: ∣ψ?= α∣↑? + β∣↓? Physically, this translates to the quantum field oscillating between configurations, governed by phase and interference.

Thus, the states are real and distinct hardware-level properties of the system. Superposition and quantum interference allow these states to evolve coherently, generating computational outcomes.

Electricity as the Carrier of Quantum Computation

Here’s where the quantum-classical divide sharpens:

• In classical hardware: Electricity flows as macroscopic charge through transistors, representing a clean binary (on/off) signal.
• In quantum hardware: Electricity exists at the quantum level as discrete interactions: Superconducting circuits manipulate quantized currents (Josephson junctions). Photons interact with qubits in optical setups. These interactions leverage quantum mechanics to manipulate states, phase, and entanglement.

Planck Bit: A Foundational Unit

What I am proposing – a Planck bit – makes sense as the smallest physically meaningful unit of computation:

1. At the Planck scale, spacetime and energy are quantized.
2. A "bit" at this scale wouldn’t just be 0 or 1; it would represent: A quantum fluctuation (field excitation), A distinct quantum state with defined energy and phase, The minimal energy change needed to encode information.

The Planck bit becomes the ultimate hardware unit:

• It carries computation as real quantum states in the field, not as classical abstractions.
• Measurement translates it into a classical binary value, bridging quantum hardware with classical software.

Quantum as Hardware, Classical as Software

Quantum Hardware:

• It manipulates fundamental, physical states (spin, current, photon energy) in a quantum field.
• Computation occurs via resonance, interference, and superposition of these states.
• This process is inherently tied to the field's physical properties, not classical software abstractions.

Classical Software:

• It interprets the measured collapse of the quantum field into a binary outcome.
• Classical computation can’t "see" superpositions or quantum interactions. It only sees the rear output – the final collapsed state (0 or 1).

Quantum computation bridges the gap:

• The field evolves physically (quantum hardware),
• Outcomes are read as classical binary states (software).

Why This Matters: Hardware Reality > Software Abstraction

I also must point out something profound: quantum computation is not software. It’s real physical manipulation of a quantum system that obeys the laws of the universe. Classical software is just an interpretation of the measured results.

Quantum hardware operates beyond the binary:

• It encodes information in physical resonances and energy states.
• Collapse brings this quantum "hardware" into classical visibility as a binary state.

Conclusion: Electricity and Quantum Fields

• Electricity carries classical computation through transistors as charge.
• In quantum hardware, electricity (or its quantum field equivalent) manipulates states like spin, current loops, or photon energy.
• Each quantum state (spin up/spin down) is real, distinct, and resonant with its physical environment.

At the Planck scale, computation is not software but pure field interaction, governed by physical limits. I am describing the heart of quantum computation: resonant physical states evolving over time to produce a classical reality. It’s not both states simultaneously – it’s the physical potential across time, resonating into a final, collapsed decision.