Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:1002.0420 · Physical Review A

Universal two-body-Hamiltonian quantum computing

Daniel Nagaj

Published Mar 27, 2012• 26 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We present a Hamiltonian quantum-computation scheme universal for quantum computation. Our Hamiltonian is a sum of a polynomial number (in the number of gates $L$ in the quantum circuit) of constant-norm, time-independent, two-body interaction terms. Furthermore, each qubit in the system interacts only with a constant number of other qubits in a three-layer, geometrically local layout. The computer runs in three steps---it starts in a simple initial product state, evolves according to a time-independent Hamiltonian for time of order ${L}^{2}$ (up to logarithmic factors), and finishes with a two-qubit measurement. Our model improves previous universal two-local-Hamiltonian constructions, as it avoids using perturbation gadgets and large energy-penalty terms in the Hamiltonian, which would result in a large required run time.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.85.032330

Related papers

Universality in quantum computation

Jennifer L. Dodd

A quantum computer is similar to an ordinary computer, except that instead of bits it uses two-level quantum systems (qubits), and the usual logical operations on bits are replaced with noiseless quantum dynamics in the form of unitary gates or Hamiltonian interactions. Many sets of resources that are universal for quantum computation (that is, capable of implementing any quantum computation) have been found, but general conditions for universality are still only partially understood. Improving our understanding of these conditions contributes to two broad goals. On the one hand, understanding what class of physical systems is suitable for quantum computation allows us choose the systems that are most easily controlled or built in the laboratory. On the other hand, identifying the unifying characteristics of such a class provides insight into the fundamental physics responsible for the much greater computational power of quantum computers.        The original results presented in this thesis are a contribution to our understanding of the physical requirements for universal quantum computation. These results lead to the identification of a new, large class of universal dynamics. More specifically, the main problem that is addressed is the following: consider a physical system that is made up of a finite number of qubits that are subject to a natural, fixed interaction described by a two-body Hamiltonian. Suppose we have the ability to control the system only by applying fast one-qubit operations. Under what conditions is this system capable of universal quantum computation? The first original result of the thesis is to prove that universal quantum computation is possible under these conditions given the single extra constraint that the Hamiltonian must entangle, or connect, all of the qubits. In other words, since a two-body Hamiltonian is expressible as a sum of coupling terms each of which acts nontrivially on a pair of qubits, consider the graph whose vertices correspond to qubits and whose edges connect qubits that are coupled by a term in the Hamiltonian. Then this Hamiltonian, together with fast one-qubit unitaries, is universal for quantum computation precisely when the corresponding graph is connected.       This result suggests many potential generalizations, three of which are explored in this thesis. The first generalization is to show that the same result holds for a two-body Hamiltonian that acts on D-dimensional quantum systems (qudits), given fast one-qudit unitaries. A second extension is to the case of a many-body Hamiltonian, that is, a Hamiltonian that has coupling terms that act on more than two qubits. Again, we find that under mild restrictions, such Hamiltonians are universal provided they are connected and that arbitrary one-qubit unitaries are available. We also discover and explore some surprising structure in many-body Hamiltonians that is associated with the parity of the couplings. A third related problem that is addressed is the question of what two-qubit unitaries are universal for quantum computation. This problem was originally solved by J.-L. and R. Brylinski [BB02], who gave a technical proof of the universality of any two-qudit gate that is not the swap gate or a product of one-qudit unitaries, given one-qudit unitaries as a free resource. We develop an elementary and constructive proof for the case of qubits, and prove that our construction is very close to optimal in the number of uses of the two-qubit gate.       Given a qualitative understanding of what dynamical resources are universal for quantum computation, it is natural to consider developing a quantitative measure of the usefulness of quantum dynamics for quantum information processing. This is done in the final chapter of the thesis, in which the beginnings of a quantitative theory of quantum dynamics are developed.

•Jan 1, 2004•7 citations

Fast universal quantum computation with railroad-switch local Hamiltonians

Daniel Nagaj

We present two universal models of quantum computation with a time-independent, frustration-free Hamiltonian. The first construction uses 3-local (qubit) projectors and the second one requires only 2-local qubit-qutrit projectors. We build on Feynman’s Hamiltonian computer idea [R. Feynman, Optics News 11, 11 (1985)] and use a railroad-switch-type clock register. The resources required to simulate a quantum circuit with L gates in this model are O(L) small-dimensional quantum systems (qubits or qutrits), a time-independent Hamiltonian composed of O(L) local, constant norm, projector terms, the possibility to prepare computational basis product states, a running time O(L log2 L), and the possibility to measure a few qubits in the computational basis. Our models also give a simplified proof of the universality of 3-local adiabatic quantum computation.

arXiv:0908.4219•Journal of Mathematical Physics•Jun 1, 2010•40 citations

Digital-analog quantum computation with arbitrary two-body Hamiltonians

Mikel Garcia de Andoin, Álvaro Sáiz, P. Pérez-Fernández +3 more

Digital-analog quantum computing is a computational paradigm which employs an analog Hamiltonian resource together with single-qubit gates to reach universality. Here, we design a new scheme which employs an arbitrary two-body source Hamiltonian, extending the experimental applicability of this computational paradigm to most quantum platforms. We show that the simulation of an arbitrary two-body target Hamiltonian of $n$ qubits requires $\mathcal{O}({n}^{2})$ analog blocks with guaranteed positive times, providing a polynomial advantage compared to the previous scheme. Additionally, we propose a classical strategy which combines a Bayesian optimization with a gradient descent method, improving the performance by $\ensuremath{\sim}55%$ for small systems measured in the Frobenius norm.

arXiv:2307.00966•Physical Review Research•Mar 14, 2024•15 citations

Hamiltonian quantum computer in one dimension

Tzu-Chieh Wei, John C. Liang

Quantum computation can be achieved by preparing an appropriate initial product state of qudits and then letting it evolve under a fixed Hamiltonian. The readout is made by measurement on individual qudits at some later time. This approach is called the Hamiltonian quantum computation and it includes, for example, the continuous-time quantum cellular automata and the universal quantum walk. We consider one spatial dimension and study the compromise between the locality $k$ and the local Hilbert space dimension $d$. For geometrically 2-local (i.e., $k=2$), it is known that $d=8$ is already sufficient for universal quantum computation but the Hamiltonian is not translationally invariant. As the locality $k$ increases, it is expected that the minimum required $d$ should decrease. We provide a construction of a Hamiltonian quantum computer for $k=3$ with $d=5$. One implication is that simulating one-dimensional chains of spin-2 particles is BQP-complete (BQP denotes ``bounded error, quantum polynomial time''). Imposing translation invariance will increase the required $d$. For this we also construct another 3-local $(k=3)$ Hamiltonian that is invariant under translation of a unit cell of two sites but that requires $d$ to be 8.

arXiv:1512.06775•Physical Review A•Dec 21, 2015•8 citations

Adiabatic and Hamiltonian computing on a 2D lattice with simple two-qubit interactions

Seth Lloyd, Barbara M. Terhal

We show how to perform universal Hamiltonian and adiabatic computing using a time-independent Hamiltonian on a 2D grid describing a system of hopping particles which string together and interact to perform the computation. In this construction, the movement of one particle is controlled by the presence or absence of other particles, an effective quantum field effect transistor that allows the construction of controlled-NOT and controlled-rotation gates. The construction translates into a model for universal quantum computation with time-independent 2-qubit ZZ and XX+YY interactions on an (almost) planar grid. The effective Hamiltonian is arrived at by a single use of first-order perturbation theory avoiding the use of perturbation gadgets. The dynamics and spectral properties of the effective Hamiltonian can be fully determined as it corresponds to a particular realization of a mapping between a quantum circuit and a Hamiltonian called the space-time circuit-to-Hamiltonian construction. Because of the simple interactions required, and because no higher-order perturbation gadgets are employed, our construction is potentially realizable using superconducting or other solid-state qubits.

•Jan 1, 2016•22 citations

Adiabatic and Hamiltonian computing on a 2D lattice with simple two-qubit interactions

Seth Lloyd, Barbara M. Terhal

We show how to perform universal Hamiltonian and adiabatic computing using a time-independent Hamiltonian on a 2D grid describing a system of hopping particles which string together and interact to perform the computation. In this construction, the movement of one particle is controlled by the presence or absence of other particles, an effective quantum field effect transistor that allows the construction of controlled-NOT and controlled-rotation gates. The construction translates into a model for universal quantum computation with time-independent two-qubit ZZ and XX + YY interactions on an (almost) planar grid. The effective Hamiltonian is arrived at by a single use of first-order perturbation theory avoiding the use of perturbation gadgets. The dynamics and spectral properties of the effective Hamiltonian can be fully determined as it corresponds to a particular realization of a mapping between a quantum circuit and a Hamiltonian called the space–time circuit-to-Hamiltonian construction. Because of the simple interactions required, and because no higher-order perturbation gadgets are employed, our construction is potentially realizable using superconducting or other solid-state qubits.

arXiv:1509.01278•New Journal of Physics•Feb 12, 2016•23 citations
We present a Hamiltonian quantum-computation scheme universal for quantum computation. Our Hamiltonian is a sum of a polynomial number (in the number of gates LLL in the quantum circuit) of constant-norm, time-independent, two-body interaction terms. Furthermore, each qubit in the system interacts only with a constant number of other qubits in a three-layer, geometrically local layout. The computer runs in three steps---it starts in a simple initial product state, evolves according to a time-independent Hamiltonian for time of order L2{L}^{2}L2 (up to logarithmic factors), and finishes with a two-qubit measurement. Our model improves previous universal two-local-Hamiltonian constructions, as it avoids using perturbation gadgets and large energy-penalty terms in the Hamiltonian, which would result in a large required run time.
A quantum computer is similar to an ordinary computer, except that instead of bits it uses two-level quantum systems (qubits), and the usual logical operations on bits are replaced with noiseless quantum dynamics in the form of unitary gates or Hamiltonian interactions. Many sets of resources that are universal for quantum computation (that is, capable of implementing any quantum computation) have been found, but general conditions for universality are still only partially understood. Improving our understanding of these conditions contributes to two broad goals. On the one hand, understanding what class of physical systems is suitable for quantum computation allows us choose the systems that are most easily controlled or built in the laboratory. On the other hand, identifying the unifying characteristics of such a class provides insight into the fundamental physics responsible for the much greater computational power of quantum computers.        The original results presented in this thesis are a contribution to our understanding of the physical requirements for universal quantum computation. These results lead to the identification of a new, large class of universal dynamics. More specifically, the main problem that is addressed is the following: consider a physical system that is made up of a finite number of qubits that are subject to a natural, fixed interaction described by a two-body Hamiltonian. Suppose we have the ability to control the system only by applying fast one-qubit operations. Under what conditions is this system capable of universal quantum computation? The first original result of the thesis is to prove that universal quantum computation is possible under these conditions given the single extra constraint that the Hamiltonian must entangle, or connect, all of the qubits. In other words, since a two-body Hamiltonian is expressible as a sum of coupling terms each of which acts nontrivially on a pair of qubits, consider the graph whose vertices correspond to qubits and whose edges connect qubits that are coupled by a term in the Hamiltonian. Then this Hamiltonian, together with fast one-qubit unitaries, is universal for quantum computation precisely when the corresponding graph is connected.       This result suggests many potential generalizations, three of which are explored in this thesis. The first generalization is to show that the same result holds for a two-body Hamiltonian that acts on D-dimensional quantum systems (qudits), given fast one-qudit unitaries. A second extension is to the case of a many-body Hamiltonian, that is, a Hamiltonian that has coupling terms that act on more than two qubits. Again, we find that under mild restrictions, such Hamiltonians are universal provided they are connected and that arbitrary one-qubit unitaries are available. We also discover and explore some surprising structure in many-body Hamiltonians that is associated with the parity of the couplings. A third related problem that is addressed is the question of what two-qubit unitaries are universal for quantum computation. This problem was originally solved by J.-L. and R. Brylinski [BB02], who gave a technical proof of the universality of any two-qudit gate that is not the swap gate or a product of one-qudit unitaries, given one-qudit unitaries as a free resource. We develop an elementary and constructive proof for the case of qubits, and prove that our construction is very close to optimal in the number of uses of the two-qubit gate.       Given a qualitative understanding of what dynamical resources are universal for quantum computation, it is natural to consider developing a quantitative measure of the usefulness of quantum dynamics for quantum information processing. This is done in the final chapter of the thesis, in which the beginnings of a quantitative theory of quantum dynamics are developed.
We present two universal models of quantum computation with a time-independent, frustration-free Hamiltonian. The first construction uses 3-local (qubit) projectors and the second one requires only 2-local qubit-qutrit projectors. We build on Feynman’s Hamiltonian computer idea [R. Feynman, Optics News 11, 11 (1985)] and use a railroad-switch-type clock register. The resources required to simulate a quantum circuit with L gates in this model are O(L) small-dimensional quantum systems (qubits or qutrits), a time-independent Hamiltonian composed of O(L) local, constant norm, projector terms, the possibility to prepare computational basis product states, a running time O(L log2 L), and the possibility to measure a few qubits in the computational basis. Our models also give a simplified proof of the universality of 3-local adiabatic quantum computation.
Digital-analog quantum computing is a computational paradigm which employs an analog Hamiltonian resource together with single-qubit gates to reach universality. Here, we design a new scheme which employs an arbitrary two-body source Hamiltonian, extending the experimental applicability of this computational paradigm to most quantum platforms. We show that the simulation of an arbitrary two-body target Hamiltonian of nnn qubits requires O(n2)\mathcal{O}({n}^{2})O(n2) analog blocks with guaranteed positive times, providing a polynomial advantage compared to the previous scheme. Additionally, we propose a classical strategy which combines a Bayesian optimization with a gradient descent method, improving the performance by $\ensuremath{\sim}55%$ for small systems measured in the Frobenius norm.
Quantum computation can be achieved by preparing an appropriate initial product state of qudits and then letting it evolve under a fixed Hamiltonian. The readout is made by measurement on individual qudits at some later time. This approach is called the Hamiltonian quantum computation and it includes, for example, the continuous-time quantum cellular automata and the universal quantum walk. We consider one spatial dimension and study the compromise between the locality kkk and the local Hilbert space dimension ddd. For geometrically 2-local (i.e., k=2k=2k=2), it is known that d=8d=8d=8 is already sufficient for universal quantum computation but the Hamiltonian is not translationally invariant. As the locality kkk increases, it is expected that the minimum required ddd should decrease. We provide a construction of a Hamiltonian quantum computer for k=3k=3k=3 with d=5d=5d=5. One implication is that simulating one-dimensional chains of spin-2 particles is BQP-complete (BQP denotes ``bounded error, quantum polynomial time''). Imposing translation invariance will increase the required ddd. For this we also construct another 3-local (k=3)(k=3)(k=3) Hamiltonian that is invariant under translation of a unit cell of two sites but that requires ddd to be 8.
We show how to perform universal Hamiltonian and adiabatic computing using a time-independent Hamiltonian on a 2D grid describing a system of hopping particles which string together and interact to perform the computation. In this construction, the movement of one particle is controlled by the presence or absence of other particles, an effective quantum field effect transistor that allows the construction of controlled-NOT and controlled-rotation gates. The construction translates into a model for universal quantum computation with time-independent 2-qubit ZZ and XX+YY interactions on an (almost) planar grid. The effective Hamiltonian is arrived at by a single use of first-order perturbation theory avoiding the use of perturbation gadgets. The dynamics and spectral properties of the effective Hamiltonian can be fully determined as it corresponds to a particular realization of a mapping between a quantum circuit and a Hamiltonian called the space-time circuit-to-Hamiltonian construction. Because of the simple interactions required, and because no higher-order perturbation gadgets are employed, our construction is potentially realizable using superconducting or other solid-state qubits.
We show how to perform universal Hamiltonian and adiabatic computing using a time-independent Hamiltonian on a 2D grid describing a system of hopping particles which string together and interact to perform the computation. In this construction, the movement of one particle is controlled by the presence or absence of other particles, an effective quantum field effect transistor that allows the construction of controlled-NOT and controlled-rotation gates. The construction translates into a model for universal quantum computation with time-independent two-qubit ZZ and XX + YY interactions on an (almost) planar grid. The effective Hamiltonian is arrived at by a single use of first-order perturbation theory avoiding the use of perturbation gadgets. The dynamics and spectral properties of the effective Hamiltonian can be fully determined as it corresponds to a particular realization of a mapping between a quantum circuit and a Hamiltonian called the space–time circuit-to-Hamiltonian construction. Because of the simple interactions required, and because no higher-order perturbation gadgets are employed, our construction is potentially realizable using superconducting or other solid-state qubits.