DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
This action is responsive to the Election filed on 3/26/2026. Claims 1-15 are pending in the case. Claims 11-15 have been withdrawn as non-elected. Claims 1, 10-12, and 14 are independent claims.
Claim Rejections - 35 U.S.C. § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. §§ 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. §§ 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. § 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hen et al. (“Driver Hamiltonians for constrained optimization in quantum annealing,” 7 July 2016, https://arxiv.org/abs/1602.07942v2, hereinafter Hen).
As to independent claim 1, Hen discloses a method of performing a quantum computation on a quantum system, the method comprising:
encoding a computational problem into a problem Hamiltonian (“the solution of an optimization problem is encoded in the ground state of a problem Hamiltonian
H
p
,” page 1 section “I. INTRODUCTION” paragraph 2 lines 4-6) of constituents of the quantum system (“The encoding is normally readily carried out by expressing the problem in terms of an Ising Hamiltonian, which can be interpreted in a simple physical way as interacting magnetic dipoles subjected to local magnetic fields,” page 1 section “I. INTRODUCTION” paragraph 2 lines 6-10);
mapping a side condition or side conditions associated with the computational problem to an exchange Hamiltonian of a first part of the constituents of the quantum system (“
H
a
u
x
is a linear combination of the constraints
H
a
u
x
=
-
∑
j
B
j
C
j
(
{
σ
i
z
}
)
,” page 3 column left lines 4-6);
initializing the constituents of the quantum system in an initial state (“Setting up the initial state of the system to be the ground state of the driver Hamiltonian in the relevant sector
⟨
C
(
{
σ
i
z
}
)
⟩
t
=
0
=
c
,” page 2 section “B. Setting up the initial ground state” paragraph 1 lines 1-4);
evolving the quantum system by interactions of the constituents of the quantum system, wherein the interactions include interactions determined by a final Hamiltonian (“the Hamiltonian is slowly varied from
H
d
to
H
p
, normally via the linear interpolation
H
s
=
s
H
p
+
(
1
-
s
)
H
d
,” page 1 section “I. INTRODUCTION” paragraph 2 lines 17-20), interactions determined by the exchange Hamiltonian (“modifying the driver Hamiltonian to
H
d
'
=
H
d
+
H
a
u
x
, where
H
a
u
x
is a linear combination of the constraints
H
a
u
x
=
-
∑
j
B
j
C
j
(
{
σ
i
z
}
)
,” page 3 column left lines 3-6), and interactions determined by a driver Hamiltonian (“the system is prepared in the ground state of an initial Hamiltonian
H
d
, commonly referred to as the driver Hamiltonian,” page 1 section “I. INTRODUCTION” paragraph 2 lines 13-15), wherein the final Hamiltonian is a sum of the problem Hamiltonian and of a short-range Hamiltonian (“an initial Hamiltonian
H
d
, commonly referred to as the driver Hamiltonian, which must not commute with the problem Hamiltonian
H
p
,” page 1 section “I. INTRODUCTION” paragraph 2 lines 13-16), and the driver Hamiltonian is a Hamiltonian of a second part of the constituents of the quantum system (“the system is prepared in the ground state of an initial Hamiltonian
H
d
, commonly referred to as the driver Hamiltonian,” page 1 section “I. INTRODUCTION” paragraph 2 lines 13-15);
measuring at least a portion of the constituents of the quantum system to obtain a read-out (“measuring the state will give the solution of the original problem,” page 1 section “I. INTRODUCTION” paragraph 2 lines 28-29).
As to dependent claim 2, Hen further discloses a method wherein initializing the constituents of the quantum system in the initial state comprises preparing the constituents of the quantum system in a quantum state that is an eigenstate of an initial Hamiltonian or an approximation of the eigenstate (“Setting up the initial state of the system to be the ground state of the driver Hamiltonian in the relevant sector
⟨
C
(
{
σ
i
z
}
)
⟩
t
=
0
=
c
,” page 2 section “B. Setting up the initial ground state” paragraph 1 lines 1-4), the eigenstate of the initial Hamiltonian preferably being a ground state of the initial Hamiltonian (claim scope is not limited by claim language that suggests or makes optional but does not require steps to be performed, or by claim language that does not limit a claim to a particular structure).
As to dependent claim 3, Hen further discloses a method wherein the initial Hamiltonian is a single-body Hamiltonian including a first sum of first summand Hamiltonians (“
H
a
u
x
is a linear combination of the constraints
H
a
u
x
=
-
∑
j
B
j
C
j
(
{
σ
i
z
}
)
,” page 3 column left lines 4-6) and a second sum of second summand Hamiltonians (“modifying the driver Hamiltonian to
H
d
'
=
H
d
+
H
a
u
x
, where
H
a
u
x
is a linear combination of the constraints
H
a
u
x
=
-
∑
j
B
j
C
j
(
{
σ
i
z
}
)
,” page 3 column left lines 3-6), wherein the first summand Hamiltonians act on the first part of the constituents of the quantum system (“
H
a
u
x
is a linear combination of the constraints
H
a
u
x
=
-
∑
j
B
j
C
j
(
{
σ
i
z
}
)
,” page 3 column left lines 4-6) and the second summand Hamiltonians act on the second part of the constituents of the quantum system (“the system is prepared in the ground state of an initial Hamiltonian
H
d
, commonly referred to as the driver Hamiltonian,” page 1 section “I. INTRODUCTION” paragraph 2 lines 13-15), preferably wherein each summand Hamiltonian of the first summand Hamiltonians and of the second summand Hamiltonians is represented by a Pauli
σ
~
z
operator multiplied by a coefficient, wherein the coefficients of the first summand Hamiltonians are compatible with the side condition or the side conditions associated with the computational problem (claim scope is not limited by claim language that suggests or makes optional but does not require steps to be performed, or by claim language that does not limit a claim to a particular structure).
As to dependent claim 4, Hen further discloses a method wherein the exchange Hamiltonian is represented by a sum of nearest-neighbor first order hopping terms (“
H
a
u
x
is a linear combination of the constraints
H
a
u
x
=
-
∑
j
B
j
C
j
(
{
σ
i
z
}
)
,” page 3 column left lines 4-6).
As to dependent claim 5, Hen further discloses a method wherein evolving the quantum system by interactions of the constituents of the quantum system comprises passing from an initial Hamiltonian of the quantum system to the final Hamiltonian via an intermediate Hamiltonian (“the Hamiltonian is slowly varied from
H
d
to
H
p
, normally via the linear interpolation
H
s
=
s
H
p
+
(
1
-
s
)
H
d
,” page 1 section “I. INTRODUCTION” paragraph 2 lines 17-20) including a linear combination of the initial Hamiltonian (“Setting up the initial state of the system to be the ground state of the driver Hamiltonian in the relevant sector
⟨
C
(
{
σ
i
z
}
)
⟩
t
=
0
=
c
,” page 2 section “B. Setting up the initial ground state” paragraph 1 lines 1-4), the final Hamiltonian (“the Hamiltonian is slowly varied from
H
d
to
H
p
, normally via the linear interpolation
H
s
=
s
H
p
+
(
1
-
s
)
H
d
,” page 1 section “I. INTRODUCTION” paragraph 2 lines 17-20), the exchange Hamiltonian (“modifying the driver Hamiltonian to
H
d
'
=
H
d
+
H
a
u
x
, where
H
a
u
x
is a linear combination of the constraints
H
a
u
x
=
-
∑
j
B
j
C
j
(
{
σ
i
z
}
)
,” page 3 column left lines 3-6), and the driver Hamiltonian (“the system is prepared in the ground state of an initial Hamiltonian
H
d
, commonly referred to as the driver Hamiltonian,” page 1 section “I. INTRODUCTION” paragraph 2 lines 13-15), preferably by quantum annealing, more preferably comprising adiabatically evolving the initial Hamiltonian into the final Hamiltonian while transiently fading in and then out the driver Hamiltonian and the exchange Hamiltonian (claim scope is not limited by claim language that suggests or makes optional but does not require steps to be performed, or by claim language that does not limit a claim to a particular structure).
As to dependent claim 6, Hen further discloses a method wherein evolving the quantum system by interactions of the constituents of the quantum system includes evolving a quantum state of the constituents of the quantum system from the initial state towards an eigenstate of the final Hamiltonian (“the Hamiltonian is slowly varied from
H
d
to
H
p
, normally via the linear interpolation
H
s
=
s
H
p
+
(
1
-
s
)
H
d
,” page 1 section “I. INTRODUCTION” paragraph 2 lines 17-20), wherein the eigenstate of the final Hamiltonian is an excited state (an eigenstate is invariant under transform).
As to dependent claim 7, Hen further discloses a method wherein evolving the quantum system by interactions of the constituents of the quantum system comprises: determining a sequence of unitary operators, wherein the unitary operators in the sequence are taken from the following set of unitary operators: a unitary operator being a function of the problem Hamiltonian (“the solution of an optimization problem is encoded in the ground state of a problem Hamiltonian
H
p
,” page 1 section “I. INTRODUCTION” paragraph 2 lines 4-6), a unitary operator being a function of the short-range Hamiltonian (“an initial Hamiltonian
H
d
, commonly referred to as the driver Hamiltonian, which must not commute with the problem Hamiltonian
H
p
,” page 1 section “I. INTRODUCTION” paragraph 2 lines 13-16), a unitary operator being a function of the driver Hamiltonian (“the system is prepared in the ground state of an initial Hamiltonian
H
d
, commonly referred to as the driver Hamiltonian,” page 1 section “I. INTRODUCTION” paragraph 2 lines 13-15), and a unitary operator being a function of the exchange Hamiltonian (“modifying the driver Hamiltonian to
H
d
'
=
H
d
+
H
a
u
x
, where
H
a
u
x
is a linear combination of the constraints
H
a
u
x
=
-
∑
j
B
j
C
j
(
{
σ
i
z
}
)
,” page 3 column left lines 3-6), and wherein evolving the quantum system by interactions of the constituents of the quantum system comprises applying the sequence of unitary operators to the quantum system (“the Hamiltonian is slowly varied from
H
d
to
H
p
, normally via the linear interpolation
H
s
=
s
H
p
+
(
1
-
s
)
H
d
,” page 1 section “I. INTRODUCTION” paragraph 2 lines 17-20).
As to dependent claim 8, Hen further discloses a method wherein evolving the quantum system by interactions of the constituents of the quantum system and measuring at least a portion of the constituents of the quantum system to obtain a read-out constitutes a round of operations, and wherein there are N rounds of operations, wherein N≥2 (the device may be re-used indefinitely by re-initializing it).
As to dependent claim 9, Hen further discloses a method wherein the initial state and the dynamics of the evolution of the quantum system (“the Hamiltonian is slowly varied from
H
d
to
H
p
, normally via the linear interpolation
H
s
=
s
H
p
+
(
1
-
s
)
H
d
,” page 1 section “I. INTRODUCTION” paragraph 2 lines 17-20) enforce fulfillment of the side condition or of the side conditions associated with the computational problem during the quantum computation (“
H
a
u
x
is a linear combination of the constraints
H
a
u
x
=
-
∑
j
B
j
C
j
(
{
σ
i
z
}
)
,” page 3 column left lines 4-6).
As to independent claim 10, Hen discloses an apparatus for performing a quantum computation on a quantum system, the apparatus comprising:
the quantum system, including constituents of the quantum system that form a first part and a second part (“The encoding is normally readily carried out by expressing the problem in terms of an Ising Hamiltonian, which can be interpreted in a simple physical way as interacting magnetic dipoles subjected to local magnetic fields,” page 1 section “I. INTRODUCTION” paragraph 2 lines 6-10);
an encoder configured for encoding a computational problem into a problem Hamiltonian (“the solution of an optimization problem is encoded in the ground state of a problem Hamiltonian
H
p
,” page 1 section “I. INTRODUCTION” paragraph 2 lines 4-6) of the constituents of the quantum system (“The encoding is normally readily carried out by expressing the problem in terms of an Ising Hamiltonian, which can be interpreted in a simple physical way as interacting magnetic dipoles subjected to local magnetic fields,” page 1 section “I. INTRODUCTION” paragraph 2 lines 6-10), and configured for mapping a side condition or side conditions associated with the computational problem to an exchange Hamiltonian of the first part of the constituents of the quantum system (“
H
a
u
x
is a linear combination of the constraints
H
a
u
x
=
-
∑
j
B
j
C
j
(
{
σ
i
z
}
)
,” page 3 column left lines 4-6);
a quantum processing unit configured for:
initializing the constituents of the quantum system in an initial state (“Setting up the initial state of the system to be the ground state of the driver Hamiltonian in the relevant sector
⟨
C
(
{
σ
i
z
}
)
⟩
t
=
0
=
c
,” page 2 section “B. Setting up the initial ground state” paragraph 1 lines 1-4);
evolving the quantum system by interactions of the constituents of the quantum system, wherein the interactions include interactions determined by a final Hamiltonian (“the Hamiltonian is slowly varied from
H
d
to
H
p
, normally via the linear interpolation
H
s
=
s
H
p
+
(
1
-
s
)
H
d
,” page 1 section “I. INTRODUCTION” paragraph 2 lines 17-20), the exchange Hamiltonian (“modifying the driver Hamiltonian to
H
d
'
=
H
d
+
H
a
u
x
, where
H
a
u
x
is a linear combination of the constraints
H
a
u
x
=
-
∑
j
B
j
C
j
(
{
σ
i
z
}
)
,” page 3 column left lines 3-6), and a driver Hamiltonian (“the system is prepared in the ground state of an initial Hamiltonian
H
d
, commonly referred to as the driver Hamiltonian,” page 1 section “I. INTRODUCTION” paragraph 2 lines 13-15), wherein the final Hamiltonian is the sum of the problem Hamiltonian and of a short-range Hamiltonian (“an initial Hamiltonian
H
d
, commonly referred to as the driver Hamiltonian, which must not commute with the problem Hamiltonian
H
p
,” page 1 section “I. INTRODUCTION” paragraph 2 lines 13-16), and the driver Hamiltonian is a Hamiltonian of the second part of the constituents of the quantum system (“the system is prepared in the ground state of an initial Hamiltonian
H
d
, commonly referred to as the driver Hamiltonian,” page 1 section “I. INTRODUCTION” paragraph 2 lines 13-15);
a measurement unit configured for measuring at least a portion of the constituents of the quantum system to obtain a read-out (“measuring the state will give the solution of the original problem,” page 1 section “I. INTRODUCTION” paragraph 2 lines 28-29).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to Applicant’s disclosure:
US 2018/0218279 A1 disclosing encoding the computational problem into a problem Hamiltonian of the quantum system, wherein the problem Hamiltonian is a single-body Hamiltonian including a plurality of adjustable parameters, and wherein the encoding includes determining, from the computational problem, a problem-encoding configuration for the plurality of adjustable parameters, and further evolving the quantum system from an initial quantum state towards a ground state of a final Hamiltonian of the quantum system, wherein the final Hamiltonian is the sum of the problem Hamiltonian and a short-range Hamiltonian
Applicant is required under 37 C.F.R. § 1.111(c) to consider these references fully when responding to this action.
It is noted that any citation to specific pages, columns, lines, or figures in the prior art references and any interpretation of the references should not be considered to be limiting in any way. A reference is relevant for all it contains and may be relied upon for all that it would have reasonably suggested to one having ordinary skill in the art. In re Heck, 699 F.2d 1331, 1332-33, 216 U.S.P.Q. 1038, 1039 (Fed. Cir. 1983) (quoting In re Lemelson, 397 F.2d 1006, 1009, 158 U.S.P.Q. 275, 277 (C.C.P.A. 1968)).
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/Ryan Barrett/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2148
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