Ever since Peter Shor exploited quantum mechanics to show the possibility of writing an algorithm to crack an erstwhile intractable problem of factorizing two large numbers, there has been a furry of public interest regarding this new technology. Quantum computing, if successful, will develop new engines capable of performing calculations and simulations that are deemed presently infeasible on our computers.
If you surf around, you should be able to get many articles on the subject. I have done a tiny search and I have gathered together some of the more interesting sites that I think you might be interested. These sites usually do not demand an in-depth knowledge of quantum mechanics.
Overviews
A very short overview by Elmer
Smalling
Notes on quantum computing by R.F.
Werner (Technical University of Braunschweig)
A pretty good one by Dana
Mackenzie (Nanothinc) or another one by Matias
Castro
Simon Bone's Hitchhiker's Guide
to Quantum Computing
Another funny one by
someone
from a galaxy far away.
An FAQ by RSA
Security Company on QC.
A fairly comprehensive one by Amit
Gulaya
For more information: a summary
from IRO group, University of Montreal.
More Readings:
Charles Bennett:
Quantum Information and Computation, Physics Today, 48 (October
1995), pp. 24-30.
Seth Lloyd:
Quantum-Mechanical Computers, Scientific American, 273 (October 1995),
pp.
44-50.
David DiVincenzo:
Quantum Computation, Science, 270 (13 October 1995), pp. 255-261.
Imagine using classical computing to simulate quantum computing!
Bernhard Ömer
has written a C++ class library for the simulation of a quantum computer.
He has also written a short report
on the topic.
What about Quantum Hardware?
Here is one on the Ion Trap...
An overview on Ion Trap from Los
Alamos
Other Experiments on quantum computation at Los
Alamos
Ion trap experiments at NIST
Boulder, Colorado