Toward a Personal Quantum Computer

The realization of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) as a means to perform useful quantum computations has warranted a detailed discussion regarding the physics and instrumentation underlying the construction of a NMR quantum computer to facilitate the design of a desktop quantum computer. A brief overview of classical mechanics, quantum mechanics, and statistical mechanics is presented with Newton’s first law as a starting point. A correspondence between an initially postulated classical magnetic moment model and first principles will be made, and methods for the measurement and interpretation of macroscopically manifest observables are discussed. An introduction to quantum computation will delineate the elements required for computation in analogy to those required for conventional digital computation. The advantages afforded through the use of quantum computational algorithms are discussed, and the employment of NMR to perform quantum computations is presented. Design considerations for the instrumentation necessary to observe NMR with the cost and physical constraints of a desktop apparatus are reviewed. Low-noise and radio-frequency (RF) instrumentation design needs and constraints are explained in the context of refining sensitivity and frequency resolution requirements of an NMR spectrometer. Experimental considerations for the use of physical processes to enhance sensitivity and spectral resolution are also described. Results from a desktop NMR spectrometer is presented with a prescription for future progress. Thesis Supervisor: Neil A. Gershenfeld Title: Director, Physics and Media Group, MIT Media Laboratory