I. In search for the fundamental physical limits of computation.

Once the first digital computers appeared in the 1940s it was only natural to ask what constraints govern the physical process of computing. For example, is a minimum amount of energy required per logic step, how large must the computing device be, how long must it take to perform a particular computation, etc.
In 1949 John Von Neumann gave a lecture in which he identified kT (Boltzman's constant times temeperature) as a minimum energy required "per elementary act of information". In 1950 Leon Brillouin of IBM supported Von Neumann's ideas with more detailed analysis. In about 1960 Rolf Landauer and John Swanson of IBM advanced the notion of logical reversibility.
(in preparation)

II. Enter quantum mechanics

(in preparation)

III.

Having fielded a lot of requests for old photos etc from the early days of quantum computation and quantum cryptography, we are trying to collect photos from past meetings, conferences etc.
If you have any photos that aren't on a website, or you have a webpage with the photos on, then tell us.
All the local photos are available from the photo gallery.

The very first meeting in quantum cryptography and computation. The Rank Prize Funds Symposium on Quantum Communication and Cryptography, Broadway, U.K., 29 March - 1 April 1993.

Ben Schumacher

Rodney Loudon

Paul Townsend

Andre Berthiaume

Alice Houston

Asher Peres

Paul Tapster

David Deutsch

Ueli Maurer

Bruno Huttner

Steve Barnett

Richard Jozsa

Artur Ekert

Beatrix Eckert

Jean-François Roch

Philippa Owens

Imre Leader

Charlie Bennett

Simon Phoenix

Paul Kwiat

Massimo Palma

Nobu Imoto

John Rarity

Lucien Hardy