ELEN 689-604 (3 credits) Spring 2003
Quantum and Optical Computing
Instructor: Philip Hemmer, ZAC 216H
Time/Place: MW 3-3:50, ZAC 223B, Lab times to be arranged at first meeting
Email: prhemmer@ee.tamu.edu
Description: To maintain the current exponential growth in computer processing and memory capabilities for longer than 10 to 15 years, fundamental changes in computer hardware will be required. In the short term, the massive parallelism of optics will be exploited. In part this will be facilitated by the development of all optical components for fiber communication systems. In the long term, logic and memory elements will become so small that their quantum properties can no longer be neglected. If properly designed, these quantum properties can lead to exponential speedup for certain classes of problems. This course will give students a basic feel for what is required to actually build and operate quantum and optical computers. There will be over-view lectures as well as a hands-on introduction to basic optical hardware. Students will then choose a topic of interest to explore in-depth, either experimentally or theoretically, as a project
There will be an average of three lecture hours and one laboratory hour per week.
| Topics |
Lectures |
| 1. Overview of optical computers |
3 |
| 2. Optical parallel processors including correlators and smart pixels |
3 |
| 3. Optical memories including holography |
3 |
| 4. Holographic materials |
3 |
| 5. Spectral hole burning materials |
3 |
| 6. Advanced spectral hole burning memories and processors |
3 |
| 7. Optical computing and fiber communication interfaces |
3 |
| 8. Introduction to quantum computing requirements |
3 |
| 9. Overview of most successful quantum computer hardware |
3 |
| 10. Overview of recently proposed quantum computers |
3 |
| 11. Quantum initialization and readout problems |
3 |
| 12. Decoherence and error correction |
3 |
| 13. Scalability issues |
3 |
| 14. Quantum memories including slow light |
3 |
| 15. Quantum communication including teleportation |
3 |
| Total |
45 |
Prerequisites: None.
References:
- The Physics of Quantum Information: Quantum Cryptography,
Quantum Teleportation, Quantum Computation, D. Bouwmeester,
A. Ekert, and A. Zeilinger, (Springer-Verlag, 2000, ISBN: 3-540-66778-4)
- Holographic Data Storage, H.J. Coufal, D. Psaltis, G.T. Sincerbox,
(Springer-Verlag, 2000, ISBN: 3-540-66691-5)
Grading:
Quizzes: 25%
Oral reports: 25%
Project: 25%
Final Examination 25%
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