Complementarity

Updated: 04/26/2017 by Computer Hope

Complementarity is a fundamental principle of quantum physics which states that objects have pairs of properties that cannot be accurately measured at the same time. At the quantum level, properties that exhibit complementarity include an object's position and momentum, wave nature and particle nature, and axial spin. It's closely related to the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle: the more accurately one of these properties is measured, the less accurately it is possible to measure the other.

Complementarity has profound implication in quantum computing, which uses these properties of matter at the quantum level to perform mathematical operations.

Programming terms, Quantum