# The computational complexity of linear optics

@article{Aaronson2011TheCC,
title={The computational complexity of linear optics},
author={Scott Aaronson and Alexei Y. Arkhipov},
journal={Electron. Colloquium Comput. Complex.},
year={2011},
volume={17},
pages={170}
}
• Published 2011
• Computer Science, Physics, Mathematics
• Electron. Colloquium Comput. Complex.
We give new evidence that quantum computers -- moreover, rudimentary quantum computers built entirely out of linear-optical elements -- cannot be efficiently simulated by classical computers. In particular, we define a model of computation in which identical photons are generated, sent through a linear-optical network, then nonadaptively measured to count the number of photons in each mode. This model is not known or believed to be universal for quantum computation, and indeed, we discuss the… Expand
692 Citations

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