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Center for Nonlinear Studies |
Quantum annealing is a computational framework, distinct from the gate model of quantum computation, designed to find the ground state of a Hamiltonian that represents the solution to an optimization problem. Increasingly, quantum annealing platforms are attracting interest as quantum simulators. The D-Wave machine, a commercially available quantum annealer based on superconducting circuit technology, has attracted considerable attention due to recent claims of ``computational supremacy,'' based in part on the results of simulations of the quantum Ising chain. It was found that the number of defects as a function of annealing time exhibits a power law consistent with the predictions of Kibble-Zurek theory. In this talk, I will argue that seeking additional evidence of quantum behavior is warranted. Recent work investigating the staggered Ising chain, a model that exhibits oscillations of the defect density after a quench as a function of annealing time, will be presented. The results of preliminary searches for this behavior on D-Wave will also be discussed.
Host: Alejandro Lopez-Bezanilla (T-4)