Quantum computing with molecules for a quicker search of unsorted databases

Scrapbooks or social networks are collections of mostly unsorted data. The search for single elements in very large data volumes, i.e. for the needle in the data haystack, is extremely complex for classical computers. Scientists of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have now quantum mechanically implemented and successfully executed Glover's algorithm, a process for the quick finding of a search element in unsorted databases. Their results are reported in the Physical Review Letters.