Noise-assisted quantum transport and computation

Abstract

The transmission of an excitation along a spin chain can be hindered by the presence of small fixed imperfections that create trapping regions where the excitation may get caught (Anderson localization). A certain degree of noise, ensuing from the interaction with a thermal bath, allows to overcome localization (noise-assisted transport). In this paper we investigate the relation between noise-assisted transport and (quantum) computation. In particular we prove that noise does assist classical computation on a quantum computing device but hinders the possibility of creating entanglement.