A computer in which the logic gates are based on quantum phenomena such as electron spin rather than mechanical or conventional electronic components. Because of the superposition of quantum states (a consequence of the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle), a properly designed quantum computer can in principle perform simultaneously certain types of calculations that require a huge number of sequential operations in a classic computer. Consequently, factoring large numbers should be several orders of magnitude faster on a quantum computer than on present-day supercomputers. Because the strength of most modern cryptographic methods depends on the difficulty of making such calculations, a practical quantum computer would break most cryptographic schemes in common use. Although small proof-of-concept quantum computers have been constructed, no such machine capable of solving practical problems has yet been demonstrated.