Functional Quantum Computing: An Optical Approach

TL;DR

This paper introduces an optical device that implements a quantum meta-operator, enabling coherent permutation of unitary transformations, advancing the practical realization of a new model of functional quantum computing.

Contribution

It proposes a novel optical implementation for a quantum meta-operator that permutes quantum processes coherently, facilitating functional quantum computing models.

Findings

Design of an optical device for quantum operator permutation

Implementation requires only one physical instance of each operator

Supports the development of functional quantum computing models

Abstract

A new model of quantum computing has recently been proposed which, in analogy with a classical lambda-calculus, exploits quantum processes which operate on other quantum processes. One such quantum meta-operator takes N unitary transformations as input, coherently permutes their ordering, and outputs a new composite operator which can be applied to a quantum state. Here we propose an optical device which implements this type of coherent operator permutation. This device requires only one physical implementation of each operator to be permuted.