Topological quantum computer

A topological quantum computer is a type of quantum computer. It utilizes anyons, a type of quasiparticle that occurs in two-dimensional systems. The anyons' world lines intertwine to form braids in a three-dimensional spacetime (one temporal and two spatial dimensions). The braids act as the logic gates of the computer. The primary advantage of using quantum braids over trapped quantum particles is in their stability. While small but cumulative perturbations can cause quantum states to decohere and introduce errors in traditional quantum computations, such perturbations do not alter the topological properties of the braids. This stability is akin to the difference between cutting and reattaching a string to form a different braid versus a ball (representing an ordinary quantum particle in four-dimensional spacetime) colliding with a wall. It was proposed by Russian-American physicist Alexei Kitaev in 1997.^[2]

While the elements of a topological quantum computer originate in a purely mathematical realm, experiments in fractional quantum Hall systems indicate that these elements may be created in the real world by using semiconductors made of gallium arsenide at a temperature of nearly absolute zero and subject to strong magnetic fields.