But these packets, called photons, are also endowed with the indeterminate properties that make them quantum objects - so an optical computer can also be a quantum computer.

BBC: Quantum computer slips onto chips

This is when the laws of quantum mechanics, a branch of physics that describes the interaction of objects smaller than molecules, wreak havoc on the way chips are designed.

FORBES: Atoms Offer Giant Leap In Computing Power

The "quantum states" of atoms, light particles known as photons, molecules and even objects big enough to be seen have been extensively studied.

BBC: Neutrons could test Newton's gravity and string theory