Quantum Computation.   Principles of quantum mechanics may point the way to vastly more efficient computer systems in the next century. Quantum computation does calculations on data densely coded in the entangled states of qubits that are the hallmark of quantum mechanics. Exploiting this opportunity will require a new way of thinking about algorithms, as well as a deep understanding of quantum physics. Recent important breakthroughs in this field include Shor's algorithm for factorization exponentially faster than any known classical algorithms, which is suitable for cryptographic decipherment; and Grover's algorithm for search in an unordered data base with a sign Professors G. Chen and S. A. Fulling are investigating this area in cooperation with the quantum optics research group led by M. O. Scully in the TAMU Physics Department. They have written several articles studying Grover's algorithm for multi-object search and its possible verification through quantum optics experiments. Also active in quantum computation is Visiting Assistant Professor A. Klappenecker