The Nature of Quantum Information
Noortje Catelijn ten Wolde

Abstract:
The field of quantum information is rapidly developing and gaining increasing attention, due to its significant advancements in different areas such as quantum computing and quantum information theory and its relevance for a wide range of disciplines. However, there is a philosophical dimension to quantum information that is still relatively unexplored. In this thesis we will analyse the nature of quantum information, based on qualitative approaches to information. We will not aim to give a unique answer to the question ‘What is quantum information?’, but we will provide a range of perspectives on the topic. We consider different approaches to classical information that take into account qualitative properties of information such as informational content, aboutness, situatedness and its connection to knowledge. We will also consider the overarching themes of taking information as range and information as correlation. We will examine how these accounts of information need to be adjusted to be applicable to quantum information, in order to identify the differences between classical and quantum information. We conclude that classical information could be viewed as a subcategory of quantum information under specific circumstances, but that both types of information are indispensable. Furthermore, we suggest possible areas for future research.