View source for The Physics of Quantum Mechanics in Quantum Annealing

==Introduction==

Quantum mechanics is a fundamental theory in physics that provides a description of the physical properties of nature at the scale of atoms and subatomic particles. It is the foundation of all quantum physics including quantum chemistry, quantum field theory, quantum technology, and quantum information science. Quantum annealing is a method used to solve optimization problems using quantum mechanics. It is a quantum analog to simulated annealing, where the system is slowly cooled to find the global minimum of a given function.

[[Image:Detail-25774.jpg|thumb|center|A close-up view of a quantum computer chip with multiple quantum bits, or qubits, visible.|class=only_on_mobile]]
[[Image:Detail-25775.jpg|thumb|center|A close-up view of a quantum computer chip with multiple quantum bits, or qubits, visible.|class=only_on_desktop]]

==Quantum Mechanics==

Quantum mechanics is a branch of physics that deals with phenomena on a very small scale, such as molecules, atoms, and subatomic particles like electrons, protons, and neutrons. It is a fundamental theory in physics that provides a description of the physical properties of nature at the scale of atoms and subatomic particles. Quantum mechanics differs from classical physics in that energy, momentum, angular momentum, and other quantities of a bound system are restricted to discrete values (quantization), objects have characteristics of both particles and waves (wave-particle duality), and there are limits to the precision with which quantities can be known (uncertainty principle).

[[Image:Detail-25776.jpg|thumb|center|A representation of quantum particles interacting with each other.|class=only_on_mobile]]
[[Image:Detail-25777.jpg|thumb|center|A representation of quantum particles interacting with each other.|class=only_on_desktop]]

==Quantum Annealing==

Quantum annealing is a metaheuristic for finding the global minimum of a given objective function over a given set of candidate solutions, by a process using quantum fluctuations. Quantum annealing is used mainly for problems where the search space is discrete with many local minima; such as finding the ground state of a physical system. It was formulated in the context of quantum computation. The idea is to use quantum properties to find a global minimum more efficiently than classical methods can.

[[Image:Detail-25778.jpg|thumb|center|A quantum annealing machine in a laboratory setting.|class=only_on_mobile]]
[[Image:Detail-25779.jpg|thumb|center|A quantum annealing machine in a laboratory setting.|class=only_on_desktop]]

==Physics of Quantum Mechanics in Quantum Annealing==

Quantum annealing uses the principles of quantum mechanics to solve optimization problems. It starts from a quantum-mechanical superposition of all possible states (configurations) with equal weights. Then the system evolves following the time-dependent Schrödinger equation, a fundamental equation in quantum mechanics. The amplitudes of all states keep changing, and in the end, a measurement is made, collapsing the superposition to one state, hopefully, the ground state of the system.

[[Image:Detail-25780.jpg|thumb|center|A quantum superposition of states represented by wave patterns.|class=only_on_mobile]]
[[Image:Detail-25781.jpg|thumb|center|A quantum superposition of states represented by wave patterns.|class=only_on_desktop]]

==Applications of Quantum Annealing==

Quantum annealing has been used to solve many types of optimization problems. These include problems in logistics, medicine, biology, physics, and finance. For example, in logistics, quantum annealing has been used to optimize the routes of delivery trucks, reducing the total distance traveled and therefore reducing costs. In medicine, it has been used to design new drugs by finding the optimal configuration of a molecule to bind to a specific protein.

[[Image:Detail-25782.jpg|thumb|center|A scientist working on a quantum annealing machine.|class=only_on_mobile]]
[[Image:Detail-25783.jpg|thumb|center|A scientist working on a quantum annealing machine.|class=only_on_desktop]]

==Challenges and Future Directions==

Quantum annealing, while promising, still faces many challenges. These include the need for extremely low temperatures, the difficulty of maintaining quantum coherence, and the presence of quantum noise. However, ongoing research in quantum computing and quantum information science is expected to overcome these challenges. The future of quantum annealing looks promising, with potential applications in many areas of science and technology.

[[Image:Detail-25784.jpg|thumb|center|A futuristic representation of a quantum computer.|class=only_on_mobile]]
[[Image:Detail-25785.jpg|thumb|center|A futuristic representation of a quantum computer.|class=only_on_desktop]]

==See Also==

* [[Quantum Computing]]
* [[Quantum Information Science]]
* [[Quantum Field Theory]]

[[Category:Quantum Mechanics]]
[[Category:Quantum Computing]]
[[Category:Physics]]
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