  Quantum theory has found a new field of applications in the realm of
information and computation during the recent years. This paper reviews how
quantum physics allows information coding in classically unexpected and subtle
nonlocal ways, as well as information processing with an efficiency largely
surpassing that of the present and foreseeable classical computers. Some
outstanding aspects of classical and quantum information theory will be
addressed here. Quantum teleportation, dense coding, and quantum cryptography
are discussed as a few samples of the impact of quanta in the transmission of
information. Quantum logic gates and quantum algorithms are also discussed as
instances of the improvement in information processing by a quantum computer.
We provide finally some examples of current experimental realizations for
quantum computers and future prospects.
