English

Decoherence in quantum walks and quantum computers

Quantum Physics 2009-11-13 v1

Abstract

Decoherence is the major stumbling block in the realization of a large-scale quantum computer. Ingenious methods have been devised to overcome decoherence, but their success has been proven only for over-simplified models of system-environment interaction. Whether such methods will be reliable in the face of more realistic models is a fundamental open question. In this partly pedagogical article, we study two toy models of quantum information processing, using the language of \emph{quantum walks}. Decoherence is incorporated in 3 ways - by coupling to a noisy `projective measurement' system, and by coupling to oscillator and spin baths.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.0711.1555,
  title  = {Decoherence in quantum walks and quantum computers},
  author = {Andrew P. Hines and P. C. E. Stamp},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0711.1555},
  year   = {2009}
}

Comments

8 pages, 3 figures; to appear in Theory Canada 3 special issue if the Canadian Journal of Physics

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