Quantum Computing

Work on quantum computing has focused on designing quantum algorithms, that is, finding ways to use quantum mechanics to achieve algorithmic speedup for certain computationally difficult problems. The quantum computing group in the Center for Theoretical Physics is responsible for the quantum adiabatic evolution algorithm and the idea of quantum walk algorithms both of which are continuous time Hamiltonian based approaches to quantum computing.

The quantum computing group in the Center for Theoretical Physics has two post-docs and three graduate students. Visitors come often to give informal and formal talks. The group has close ties to other people at MIT working on quantum computation and quantum information. They meet regularly with Peter Shor who is in the math department at MIT and also with Seth Lloyd (mechanical engineering), Isaac Chuang (media lab and physics) and David Cory (nuclear engineering).