Structural basis of multistationary quantum systems. II. Effective few-particle dynamics

Is quantum mechanics useful?

Technologies differ in their explicit utilization of quantum mechanical behaviour. A transistor, despite its roots in energy band structure, does not invoke quantum mechanically coherent transmission between terminals. The impressive progress in the past decade in mesoscopic physics, when combined with studies that have analysed a totally quantum mechanical computational process, suggest that we may be ready to move toward more quantum mechanical procedures for information processing. This paper is a warning signal; this possibility is beset by problems. The case will be made via two separate but complementary arguments. First, by summarizing this author's published comments on computation via totally quantum mechanical coherent Hamiltonians. The computation is likely to suffer from localization , i.e. from reflection of the computational trajectory, causing the computation to turn around. Additionally, small errors will accumulate and cause the computation to go off track. This is supplemented by analysis of specific proposals that suggest more detailed machinery than invoked in the general literature on quantum mechanical Hamiltonian computation.

Universal Quantum Simulators

Feynman's 1982 conjecture, that quantum computers can be programmed to simulate any local quantum system, is shown to be correct.

A Potentially Realizable Quantum Computer

Arrays of weakly coupled quantum systems might compute if subjected to a sequence of electromagnetic pulses of well-defined frequency and length. Such pulsed arrays are true quantum computers: Bits can be placed in superpositionsof 0 and 1, logical operations take place coherently, and dissipation is required only for error correction. Operated with frequent error correction, such a system functions as a parallel digital computer. Operated in a quantum-mechanically coherent manner, such a device functions as a generalpurpose quantum-mechanical micromanipulator, capable of both creating any desired quantum state of the array and transforming that state in any desired way.