Quantum molecular computing: The self-assembly model
Michael Conrad · International Journal of Quantum Chemistry · 1992
The principle of macromolecular self-assembly is used to construct a model of computing that exploits quantum effects to achieve enhanced real-time capabilities. Signals impinging on a device (or biological cell) trigger the appearance of macromolecules that self-assemble into a mosaic. Adaptor enzymes recognize features of the mosaic and link these to the output of the device. In this way, a symbolic pattern recognition problem is converted to a free-energy minimization process. A Hartree-type self-consistent-field formalism is developed for treating the self-assembly process. The formalism demonstrates that the parallelism inherent in the quantum mechanical wave function (the superposition of electronic states) can speed up the exploration of the potential surface, thereby increasing computational search power over what can be achieved with conventional models of computation. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.