Analog processor comprising quantum devices

A method of determining a result of a computational problem using a quantum processor, the method comprising:

• (i) initializing the quantum processor to an initial state, wherein the quantum processor comprises a plurality of quantum devices and a plurality of coupling devices, and wherein each coupling device in the plurality of coupling devices couples a pair of quantum devices in the plurality of quantum devices, wherein the initializing comprises setting a state of at least one quantum device in the plurality of quantum devices and setting a coupling strength of at least one of the coupling devices in the plurality of coupling devices;
• (ii) allowing the quantum processor to evolve to a final state wherein the final state approximates a natural ground state of the computational problem;
• and
• (iii) reading out a final state of at least one quantum device in the plurality of quantum devices thereby determining the result of the computational problem.

A computer system for determining a result of a computational problem, the computer system comprising:

• a central processing unit;
• and
• a memory, coupled to the central processing unit, the memory storing:
• a user interface module comprising instructions for defining the computational problem;
• a mapper module comprising instructions for generating a mapping of the computational problem;
• and
• an analog processor interface module comprising:
• (i) instructions for transmitting the mapping to an analog processor, wherein the analog processor comprises a plurality of quantum devices and a plurality of coupling devices, the mapping including initialization values for at least one of the quantum devices in the plurality of quantum devices and initialization values for at least one of the coupling devices in the plurality of coupling devices, wherein a coupling device in the plurality of coupling devices couples a corresponding respective quantum device in the plurality of quantum devices to at least one of a nearest neighbor of the respective quantum device and a next-nearest neighbor of the respective quantum device;
• and
• (ii) instructions for receiving a result, responsive to the mapping, from the analog processor.

A computer program product for use in conjunction with a computer system, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, the computer program mechanism comprising:

• (A) a user interface module comprising instructions for defining a computational problem;
• (B) a mapper module comprising instructions for generating a mapping of the computational problem;
• and
• (C) an analog processor interface module comprising:
• (i) instructions for transmitting the mapping to an analog processor, wherein the analog processor comprises a plurality of quantum devices and a plurality of coupling devices, the mapping including initialization values for at least one of the quantum devices in the plurality of quantum devices and initialization values for at least one of the coupling devices in the plurality of coupling devices, wherein a coupling device in the plurality of coupling devices couples a corresponding respective quantum device in the plurality of quantum devices to at least one of a nearest neighbor of the respective quantum device and a next-nearest neighbor of the respective quantum device;
• and
• (ii) instructions for receiving a result, responsive to the mapping, from the analog processor.

A quantum processor, comprising:

• a plurality of quantum devices arranged in a lattice;
• a first plurality of coupling devices, wherein a coupling device in the first plurality of coupling devices couples a first quantum device and a second quantum device in the plurality of quantum devices, wherein the first quantum device and the second quantum device are nearest neighbors in the lattice;
• and
• a second plurality of coupling devices, wherein a coupling device in the second plurality of coupling devices couples a third quantum device and a fourth quantum device in the plurality of quantum devices, wherein the third quantum device and the fourth quantum device are next nearest neighbors in the lattice.

A quantum processor, comprising:

• a plurality of quantum devices;
• a first plurality of coupling devices, wherein the plurality of quantum devices and the first plurality of coupling devices form a planar rectangular array having a diagonal, and wherein at least one coupling device in the first plurality of coupling devices couples a first quantum device in the plurality of quantum devices and a second quantum device in the plurality of quantum devices with a coupling strength having a value in the range between a minimum negative coupling strength and a maximum positive coupling strength;
• a second plurality of coupling devices, wherein at least one coupling device in the second plurality of coupling devices couples a third quantum device in the plurality of quantum devices and a fourth quantum device in the plurality of quantum devices with a coupling strength having a value in the range between a minimum negative coupling strength and a zero coupling strength, and wherein the third quantum device and the fourth quantum device are arranged along the diagonal of the planar rectangular array;
• a read out device coupled to at least one quantum device in the plurality of quantum devices;
• and
• a local bias device coupled to at least one quantum device in the plurality of quantum devices.

A quantum processor, comprising:

• a plurality of qubit means arranged in a lattice;
• a first plurality of coupling means, wherein a first coupling means in the first plurality of coupling means couples a first qubit means of the plurality of qubit means and a second qubit means of the plurality of qubit means, wherein the first qubit means and the second qubit means are configured as nearest neighbors in the lattice;
• and
• a second plurality of coupling means, wherein a first coupling means in the second plurality of coupling means couples a third qubit means of the plurality of qubit means and a fourth qubit means of the plurality of qubit means, and wherein the third qubit means and the fourth qubit means are configured as next nearest neighbors in the lattice.

A method of determining a result for a computational problem using a quantum processor, the method comprising:

• (i) initializing the quantum processor to an initial state, wherein the quantum processor comprises a plurality of quantum devices and a plurality of coupling devices, and wherein each coupling device in the plurality of coupling devices couples a pair of quantum devices in the plurality of quantum devices, wherein initializing the quantum processor comprises setting a state of at least one of the quantum devices in the plurality of quantum devices and setting a coupling strength of at least one of the coupling devices in the plurality of coupling devices;
• (ii) allowing the quantum processor to evolve to a final state wherein the final state approximates a natural ground state of the computational problem;
• (iii) reading out a final state of at least one quantum device in the plurality of quantum devices thereby determining the result for the computational problem;
• and
• (iv) generating a carrier wave embodying a data signal comprising the result of the computational problem.

A computer system, comprising:

• means for inputting a computational problem to be solved, wherein the computational problem is selected from the group consisting of a problem having a complexity of P, a problem having a complexity of NP, a problem having a complexity of NP-Hard, and a problem having a complexity of NP-Complete;
• means for mapping the computational problem onto a quantum processor, wherein the quantum processor comprises qubit means and means for coupling nearest-neighbor and next-nearest neighbor qubit means;
• means for obtaining a solution to the computational problem using the quantum processor;
• means for outputting the solution of the computational problem;
• and
• means for transmitting the solution as a data signal embodied in a carrier wave.

A digital signal embodied on a carrier wave comprising an answer to a computational problem,

• wherein the answer to the computational problem was determined by evaluating a value of each node in a plurality of nodes;
• wherein the plurality of nodes are at least two nodes in a lattice of nodes in a quantum processor, and wherein each node in the lattice of nodes is a quantum device;
• and
• wherein a value of at least one node in the plurality of nodes is determined after evolving the quantum processor at a time after a graph representing the computational problem has been mapped onto at least a portion of the lattice.

A digital signal embodied on a carrier wave comprising a graph of a computational problem to be solved by a quantum processor

• wherein the quantum processor comprises a lattice of quantum devices;
• wherein the graph of the computational problem to be solved comprises a plurality of nodes and, for each respective node in the plurality of nodes, an initial value for the respective node and a corresponding coupling constant between the respective node and another node in the plurality of nodes;
• and
• wherein the graph of the computational problem to be solved is configured so that it can be mapped to the lattice of the quantum processor.

A digital signal embodied on a carrier wave comprising a computational problem to be solved by a quantum processor

• wherein the quantum processor comprises a lattice of quantum devices;
• wherein the computational problem to be solved is converted to a graph comprising a plurality of nodes and, for each respective node in the plurality of nodes, an initial value for the respective node and a corresponding coupling constant between the respective node and another node in the plurality of nodes;
• and
• wherein the graph of the computational problem to be solved is configured so that it can be mapped to the lattice of the quantum processor.

A graphical user interface for obtaining a solution to a computational problem, the graphical user interface comprising:

• (A) a first display field for indicating when a digital signal embodied on a carrier wave comprising a respective value for each node in a plurality of nodes has been received;
• wherein the plurality of nodes are at least two nodes in a lattice of nodes in a quantum processor, and wherein each node in the lattice of nodes is a quantum device;
• and
• wherein a value of at least one node in the plurality of nodes individually or collectively represents the solution to the computational problem that has been solved by evolving the quantum processor at a time after a graph representing the computational problem has been mapped onto at least a portion of the lattice;
• and
• (B) a second display field for displaying the solution to the computational problem.

A graphical user interface for obtaining a solution to a computational problem, the graphical user interface comprising:

• (A) a first display field for indicating when a digital signal embodied on a carrier wave comprising an answer to the computational problem has been received;
• wherein the answer to the computational problem was determined by evaluating a value of at least one node in a plurality of nodes;
• wherein the plurality of nodes are at least two nodes in a lattice of nodes in a quantum processor, and wherein each node in the lattice of nodes is a quantum device;
• and
• wherein the value of at least one node in the plurality of nodes is determined after evolving the quantum processor at a time after a graph representing the computational problem has been mapped onto at least a portion of the lattice;
• and
• (B) a second display field for displaying the solution to the computational problem.

A graphical user interface for obtaining a solution to a computational problem, the graphical user interface comprising:

• (A) a first display field for indicating when a digital signal embodied on a carrier wave comprising the computational problem to be solved by a quantum processor has been generated;
• wherein the quantum processor comprises a lattice of quantum devices;
• wherein the computational problem to be solved comprises a plurality of nodes and, for each respective node in the plurality of nodes, an initial value for the respective node and a corresponding coupling constant between the respective node and another node in the plurality of nodes;
• and
• wherein the computational problem to be solved is configured so that it can be mapped to the lattice of the quantum processor;
• and
• (B) a second display field for displaying the solution to the computational problem after it has been received.

A computational system, comprising:

• a local computer;
• a remote computer;
• a remote quantum processor in communication with the remote computer, the quantum processor comprising:
• (i) a plurality of quantum devices, wherein each quantum device in the plurality of quantum devices is a node of a lattice, and wherein a first quantum device in the plurality of quantum devices has a first basis state and a second basis state;
• and
• (ii) a plurality of coupling devices, wherein a first coupling device in the plurality of coupling devices couples the first quantum device in the plurality of quantum devices to a second quantum device in the plurality of quantum devices, wherein a configuration of the first quantum device and the second quantum device in the lattice is selected from the group consisting of a nearest-neighbor configuration and a next-nearest neighbor configuration;
• wherein
• the local computer is configured to send a computational problem to be solved to the remote computer;
• and
• the remote computer is configured to send an answer to the computational problem to the local computer.

A computer system for determining a result of a computational problem, the computer system comprising:

• a local computer;
• a remote computer;
• and
• an analog processor;
• wherein
• the local computer comprises a central processing unit and a memory, coupled to the central processing unit, the memory storing:
• a user interface module comprising instructions for defining the computational problem;
• a mapper module comprising instructions for generating a mapping of the computational problem;
• and
• a transmit module comprising instructions for sending the mapping to the remote computer;
• the remote computer comprises a central processing unit and a memory, coupled to the central processing unit, the memory storing:
• a receive module comprising instructions for receiving the mapping from the local computer;
• an analog processor interface module comprising instructions for transmitting the mapping to the analog processor;
• and
• the analog processor comprises a plurality of quantum devices and a plurality of coupling devices, and wherein the mapping includes initialization values for at least one of the quantum devices in the plurality of quantum devices and initialization values for at least one of the coupling devices in the plurality of coupling devices, wherein a coupling device in the plurality of coupling devices couples a corresponding respective quantum device in the plurality of quantum devices to at least one of a nearest neighbor of the respective quantum device and a next-nearest neighbor of the respective quantum device.

A computer system for determining a result of a computational problem, the computer system comprising:

• a local computer;
• a remote computer;
• and
• an analog processor;
• wherein
• the local computer comprises a central processing unit and a memory, coupled to the central processing unit, the memory storing:
• a user interface module comprising instructions for defining the computational problem;
• and
• a transmit module comprising instructions for sending the computational problem to the remote computer;
• the remote computer comprises a central processing unit and a memory, coupled to the central processing unit, the memory storing:
• a receive module comprising instructions for receiving the computational problem from the local computer;
• a mapper module comprising instructions for generating a mapping of the computational problem;
• and
• an analog processor interface module comprising instructions for transmitting the mapping to the analog processor;
• and
• the analog processor comprises a plurality of quantum devices and a plurality of coupling devices, and wherein the mapping includes initialization values for at least one of the quantum devices in the plurality of quantum devices and initialization values for at least one of the coupling devices in the plurality of coupling devices, wherein a coupling device in the plurality of coupling devices couples a corresponding respective quantum device in the plurality of quantum devices to at least one of a nearest neighbor of the respective quantum device and a next-nearest neighbor of the respective quantum device.