"Optimisation problems are very common in defence calculations and in relation to resource allocation and logistics problems. It is a broad class of problems, and has at the same time been identified as a class of problems that today's quantum computers may be effective for," says Charlotta Bengtson in the press release.

According to FOI, quantum computers differ from classical computers in that they use quantum bits (qubits) instead of ordinary bits. Through the principle of superposition, a qubit can exist in both values, zero and one, simultaneously, which means a quantum computer can process multiple possibilities in parallel. Another central principle is interference, where qubits act like waves that can amplify or cancel each other out, something that is exploited to increase the efficiency of calculations.