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arXiv:1105.1707

Staying adiabatic with unknown energy gap

Joscha Nehrkorn, Simone Montangero, ARTUR K. EKERT, Augusto Smerzi, Rosario Fazio, Tommaso Calarco

Published May 9, 2011• 6 citations
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Abstract

We introduce an algorithm to perform an optimal adiabatic evolution that operates without an apriori knowledge of the system spectrum. By probing the system gap locally, the algorithm maximizes the evolution speed, thus minimizing the total evolution time. We test the algorithm on the Landau-Zener transition and then apply it on the quantum adiabatic computation of 3-SAT: The result is compatible with an exponential speed-up for up to twenty qubits with respect to classical algorithms. We finally study a possible algorithm improvement by combining it with the quantum Zeno effect.

DOI
10.48550/arxiv.1105.1707

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We introduce an algorithm to perform an optimal adiabatic evolution that operates without an apriori knowledge of the system spectrum. By probing the system gap locally, the algorithm maximizes the evolution speed, thus minimizing the total evolution time. We test the algorithm on the Landau-Zener transition and then apply it on the quantum adiabatic computation of 3-SAT: The result is compatible with an exponential speed-up for up to twenty qubits with respect to classical algorithms. We finally study a possible algorithm improvement by combining it with the quantum Zeno effect.
We present a perturbative method to estimate the spectral gap for adiabatic quantum optimization, based on the structure of the energy levels in the problem Hamiltonian. We show that, for problems that have an exponentially large number of local minima close to the global minimum, the gap becomes exponentially small making the computation time exponentially long. The quantum advantage of adiabatic quantum computation may then be accessed only via the local adiabatic evolution, which requires phase coherence throughout the evolution and knowledge of the spectrum. Such problems, therefore, are not suitable for adiabatic quantum computation.
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Quantum adiabatic evolution algorithm suggested by Farhi et al. was effective in solving instances of NP-complete problems. The algorithm is governed by the adiabatic theorem. Therefore, in order to reduce the running time, it is essential to examine the minimum energy gap between the ground level and the next one through the evolution. In this letter, we show a way of speedup in quantum adiabatic evolution algorithm,using the extended Hamiltonian. We present the exact relation between the energy gap and the elements of the extended Hamiltonian, which provides the new point of view to reduce the running time. It is generally expected that quantum computation may solve the problems which are hard in classical context. Shor’s quantum factorization algorithm[1] and Grover’s quantum search algorithm[2] are the preludes to such expectation. Factorization problem, which is to factorize a large number, needs exponential time resource when a known classical algorithm is applied. However, Shor’s algorithm solves the problem with exponential speedup. Grover algorithm finds a target with quadratic speedup, compared to any known classical search algorithms. Quantum adiabatic evolution algorithm was proposed by Farhi et al. and applied to solve instances of NPcomplete
The quantum adiabatic optimization algorithm uses the adiabatic theorem from quantum physics to minimize a function by interpolation between two Hamiltonians. The quantum wave function can sometimes tunnel through significant obstacles. However it can also sometimes get stuck in local minima, even for fairly simple problems. An initial Hamiltonian which insufficiently mixes computational basis states is analogous to a poorly mixing Markov transition rule. We study a physical system -- the Ising quantum chain with alternating sector interaction defects, but constant transverse field -- which is equivalent to applying the quantum adiabatic algorithm to a particular SAT problem. We prove that for a constant range of values for the transverse field, the spectral gap is exponentially small in the sector length. Indeed, we prove that there are exponentially many eigenvalues all exponentially close to the ground state energy. Applying the adiabatic theorem therefore takes exponential time, even for this simple problem.
We give a quantum algorithm for solving instances of the satisfiability problem, based on adiabatic evolution. The evolution of the quantum state is governed by a time-dependent Hamiltonian that interpolates between an initial Hamiltonian, whose ground state is easy to construct, and a final Hamiltonian, whose ground state encodes the satisfying assignment. To ensure that the system evolves to the desired final ground state, the evolution time must be big enough. The time required depends on the minimum energy difference between the two lowest states of the interpolating Hamiltonian. We are unable to estimate this gap in general. We give some special symmetric cases of the satisfiability problem where the symmetry allows us to estimate the gap and we show that, in these cases, our algorithm runs in polynomial time.
We give a quantum algorithm for solving instances of the satisfiability problem, based on adiabatic evolution. The evolution of the quantum state is governed by a time-dependent Hamiltonian that interpolates between an initial Hamiltonian, whose ground state is easy to construct, and a final Hamiltonian, whose ground state encodes the satisfying assignment. To ensure that the system evolves to the desired final ground state, the evolution time must be big enough. The time required depends on the minimum energy difference between the two lowest states of the interpolating Hamiltonian. We are unable to estimate this gap in general. We give some special symmetric cases of the satisfiability problem where the symmetry allows us to estimate the gap and we show that, in these cases, our algorithm runs in polynomial time.