A Quantum Computing Stock Canadian Investors Can Buy Now

Written by Demetris Afxentiou at The Motley Fool Canada

Quantum computing is one of the emerging areas of the market where there are opportunities for long-term gains. It's also a complicated technology to understand, which makes it more important for investors to pick the right quantum computing stock to invest in.

One option for investors to consider right now is U.S.-based D-Wave Quantum (NASDAQ: QBTS). D-Wave sells access to its machines through a cloud service and sells quantum computing systems.

Quantum computing opens up new possibilities

Conventional computers process information using bits that have a value of either zero or one. Quantum computers use quantum bits, known as qubits, which can exist in a combination of those states before measurement. This allows different ways of performing calculations.

The appeal is that quantum computers can tackle certain difficult problems more efficiently. An example of this would be an employee scheduling system that spans multiple locations. As the number of employees grows, the combinations of schedules become more difficult for a conventional computer to sort.

D-Wave uses an approach called quantum annealing. Its hybrid tools combine quantum annealing with conventional computing to accomplish practical tasks like that employee scheduling example.