Grover Speedup from Many Forms of the Zeno Effect

Quantum 8, 1532 (2024).

https://doi.org/10.22331/q-2024-11-20-1532

It has previously been established that adiabatic quantum computation, operating based on a continuous Zeno effect due to dynamical phases between eigenstates, is able to realise an optimal Grover-like quantum speedup. In other words, is able to solve an unstructured search problem with the same $sqrt{N}$ scaling as Grover’s original algorithm. A natural question is whether other manifestations of the Zeno effect can also support an optimal speedup in a physically realistic model (through direct analogue application rather than indirectly by supporting a universal gateset). In this paper we show that they can support such a speedup, whether due to measurement, decoherence, or even decay of the excited state into a computationally useless state. Our results also suggest a wide variety of methods to realise speedup which do not rely on Zeno behaviour. We group these algorithms into three families to facilitate a structured understanding of how speedups can be obtained: one based on phase kicks, containing adiabatic computation and continuous-time quantum walks; one based on dephasing and measurement; and finally one based on destruction of the amplitude within the excited state, for which we are not aware of any previous results. These results suggest that there may be exciting opportunities for new paradigms of analog quantum computing based on these effects.

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