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It seems that quantum computers can be classified by the type of quantum they operate on. Not entirely sure what category most common current systems fall into (eg. D-Wave, Google, IBM, Microsoft). Photonic computing seems to be one of the more 'popular' alternative methods. Curious about other forms of unconventional quantum computing.

Quasi interested in a few different cases:

  • Phonon - sound based

  • Roton - vortex based

  • Dropleton - quantum droplet*

  • Fracton - fractal analog of phonons*

  • Plasmon - plasma based

Also curious about chronons & virtual particles.

Have significant breakthroughs in quantum computing been made using non-standard quanta?

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  • $\begingroup$ What makes a "quantum" "non-standard"? $\endgroup$
    – Norbert Schuch
    Commented Jul 11, 2018 at 17:02
  • $\begingroup$ @NorbertSchuch "non-standard quantum" would be anything that isn't "standard quantum" (as stated in my question, I'm not sure what the "standard quantum" is) $\endgroup$
    – user820789
    Commented Jul 13, 2018 at 5:26
  • $\begingroup$ @meowzz Aha, so "non-standard" is what isn't "standard". That's not exactly a very enlightning definition. In particular, once a significant breakthrough is made with a non-standard approach, doesn't this mean we have to consider it standard? $\endgroup$
    – Norbert Schuch
    Commented Jul 13, 2018 at 20:48
  • $\begingroup$ @NorbertSchuch Again, I'm not sure what the current standard is. Regarding standards in the future, this question may very well have significantly different answers. $\endgroup$
    – user820789
    Commented Jul 13, 2018 at 20:53
  • $\begingroup$ But is "standard" sth. which has already been done in the lab? Or where people are currently trying to set up an experiment? Or just sth. where people have made a theoretical proposal talking about how this could potentially be realized in the lab? These are vastly different possibilities! $\endgroup$
    – Norbert Schuch
    Commented Jul 13, 2018 at 20:54

2 Answers 2

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The only two quasi-particle quanta for which I know there to be active research in quantum computing are phonons and anyons.

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  • $\begingroup$ If you could update your answer to reflect the updated question it would be much appreciated. $\endgroup$
    – user820789
    Commented Jul 19, 2018 at 1:20
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I'm not sure if you count adiabatic quantum computing as fringe, but there was a paper using 4 NMR qubits to implement a adiabatic analogue to HHL which allowed them to invert an 8x8 operator with 98.4% fidelity which got put on arXiv a couple weeks ago. I thought that was pretty neat.

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  • $\begingroup$ I had considered adiabatic & topological as well but did not include them (primarily because I do not the quantum they operate upon). $\endgroup$
    – user820789
    Commented Jul 10, 2018 at 17:38
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    $\begingroup$ Adiabatic is a model of quantum computation. Any quantum that standard quantum computing uses, adiabatic can use too. Topological uses anyons. $\endgroup$
    – user1271772 No more free time
    Commented Jul 11, 2018 at 7:21
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    $\begingroup$ NMR has been the very first scheme to experimentally realize quantum computing. $\endgroup$
    – Norbert Schuch
    Commented Jul 13, 2018 at 20:55
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    $\begingroup$ @NorbertSchuch True. My answer was referring to the pre-edit version of the question that used the phrasing of "Fringe" instead of non-standard quanta. The qubits are certainly somewhat common (albeit less worked on than other models from what I can see) but the methods were what I found interesting! $\endgroup$
    – Dripto Debroy
    Commented Jul 14, 2018 at 1:45
  • $\begingroup$ Question has been updated if you would like to update your answer. $\endgroup$
    – user820789
    Commented Jul 19, 2018 at 1:21

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