Hamiltonian quantum gates-energetic advantage from <i>entangleability</i>

Abstract Hamiltonian quantum gates controlled by classical electromagnetic fields form the basis of any realistic model of quantum computers. In this letter, we derive a lower bound on the field energy required to implement such gates and relate this energy to the expected gate error. We study the entangleability (ability to entangle qubits) of Hamiltonians and highlight how this feature of quantum gates can provide a means for more energetically efficient computation. Ultimately, we show that a universal quantum computer can be realized with vanishingly low energetic requirements but at the expense of arbitrarily large complexity.