Tad Hogg and J. Geoffrey Chase
Dynamics of Computation Group
Xerox Palo Alto Research Center
Palo Alto, CA 94304
hogg@parc.xerox.com
@INPROCEEDINGS {,
AUTHOR = "Tad Hogg and J. Geoffrey Chase",
TITLE = "Quantum Smart Matter",
BOOKTITLE = "Proceedings of the Workshop on Physics and Computation,
EDITOR = "T. Toffoli and others",
PAGES = "147-152",
PUBLISHER = "New England Complex Systems Institute",
ADDRESS = "Cambridge, MA",
YEAR = "1996"}
The development of small-scale sensors and actuators allows for
constructing ``smart matter'' in which physical properties of materials are
actively controlled in a distributed manner. In this paper, we describe how
quantum computers could provide an additional capability, programmable
control over some quantum behaviors of such materials. This emphasizes the need for spatial coherence, in contrast to the more commonly discussed issue of temporal coherence for quantum computing. We also discuss some
possible applications and engineering issues involved in exploiting this possibility.
postcript (379K, 7 pages)