Speedup of the Quantum Adiabatic Algorithm by Topological Cancellation

Abstract:  

Transitions in a time-dependent quantum system can be suppressed by adding a topological cancellation term to the Hamiltonian.  We use this technique to improve the quantum adiabatic algorithm, using the random-field Ising model as an illustrative case.  For strong disorder the cancellation significantly enhances the probability for the system to remain in the ground state.  The new technique opens up a broad avenue for the improvement of the quantum adiabatic algorithm.  

Robert Joynt received his Ph.D. from the University of Maryland in 1982 and was a postdoctoral fellow at the Cavendish Laboratory of the University of Cambridge and the Institute for Theoretical Physics at ETH-Zurich.  Since 1986, he has been Professor of Physics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  He is presently on leave at the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Sciences at the Institute of Physics in Beijing.  His research has ranged from the quantum Hall effect to high-Tc superconductivity to neutron stars to quantum computing.