Overview
This invention pertains to the use of an adiabatic quantum computer in counting the number of ground states of a quantum Hamiltonian.
Prior to this invention, there have been methods of constructing adiabatic quantum computers to obtain a ground state for a problem Hamiltonian. The problem Hamiltonian and the adiabatic procedure can be implemented using qubits constructed from superconducting quantum interferences devices, as is done in the D-wave machine. However, there are no prior inventions that use an adiabatic quantum computer to obtain the number of ground states.
Quantum computers have the potential of performing computations that no classical computer can perform. The difference is that conventional computers use bits while a quantum computer uses qubits which can simultaneously be a superposition of the states 0 and 1. An adiabatic quantum computer works by slowly changing a Hamiltonian (interactions between the qubits) to ultimately enable the performance of measurement of the desired quantities on a problem Hamiltonian.
Measuring the groundstate degeneracy of a quantum Hamiltonian is a problem class that is in the computational complexity class #BQP, while classical computers can only calculate counting problems in class #P. The technology would thereby allow the AQC to perform a computation unable to be performed by classical computers.
The commercial potential is the same as for the normal AQCs. AQCs are still in development but because they enable unique capabilities, they have the potential to revolutionize computing in the future. Big technology companies are the most likely to be interested in the immediate future.