Quantum computing in a macroscopic dark period

Decoherence-free subspaces allow for the preparation of coherent and entangled qubits for quantum computing. Decoherence can be dramatically reduced, yet dissipation is an integral part of the scheme in generating stable qubits and manipulating them via one- and two-bit gate operations. How this works can be understood by comparing the system with a three-level atom exhibiting a macroscopic dark period. In addition, a dynamical explanation is given for a scheme based on atoms inside an optical cavity in the strong-coupling regime and we show how spontaneous emission by the atoms can be highly suppressed.