Physical challenges of quantum computation
Man Hong Yung · Illinois Digital Environment for Access to Learning and Scholarship (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) · 2009
This is a study of several physical challenges for building a quantum computer, a hypothetical device which is capable of accomplishing tasks unachievable by the classical model of computation. In chapter 1, we will give an overview of quantum computation and discuss the physical challenges for building a realistic quantum computer. In chapter 2, we shall explore the applications of quantum computation for the simulation of molecular quantum systems. In particular, an efficient algorithm for evaluating the partition function (and hence free energy) is proposed. In chapter 3, quantum information transfer over spin chains is then discussed. A proof about the most efficient way to transfer quantum information in one dimension is constructed. In chapter 4, we shall consider the effects of quantum correlation induced by quantum mechanical environments on the efficiency of the methods of quantum error correction. In chapter 5, we consider how the thermal noise affects the reliability of an adiabatic quantum computer.