US Patent 7418283 - Quantum computation via monitored Hamiltonian transformation

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7418283.html

D-Wave is a company attempting to make quantum computation a reality. This latest patent seems to include some basic claims to quantum computation by monitoring the state of a Hamiltonian (math expression for energy state) describing superconducting qubits under adiabatic conditions. Claim 1 reads:

1. A method for adiabatic quantum computing using a quantum system comprising a plurality of superconducting qubits, wherein the quantum system is capable of being in any one of at least two quantum configurations at any given time, the at least two quantum configurations comprising:

a first configuration described by an initialization Hamiltonian HO; and

a second configuration described by a problem Hamiltonian HP having a ground state, the method comprising:

A) initializing the quantum system to the first configuration;

B) adiabatically changing the quantum system until it is described by the ground state of the problem Hamiltonian HP; and

C) reading out a state of the quantum system.