The DiVincenzo criteria are conditions necessary for constructing a quantum computer, conditions proposed in 1996 by the theoretical physicist David P. DiVincenzo,[1] as being those necessary to construct such a computer—a computer first proposed by mathematician Yuri Manin, in 1980,[2] and physicist Richard Feynman, in 1982[3]—as a means to efficiently simulate quantum systems, such as in solving the quantum many-body problem.
There have been many proposals for how to construct a quantum computer, all of which meet with varying degrees of success against the different challenges of constructing quantum devices. Some of these proposals involve using superconducting qubits, trapped ions, liquid and solid state nuclear magnetic resonance, or optical cluster states, all of which show good prospects but also have issues that prevent their practical implementation.
The DiVincenzo criteria consist of seven conditions an experimental setup must satisfy to successfully implement quantum algorithms such as Grover's search algorithm or Shor factorization. The first five conditions regard quantum computation itself. Two additional conditions regard implementing quantum communication, such as that used in quantum key distribution. One can demonstrate that DiVincenzo's criteria are satisfied by a classical computer. Comparing the ability of classical and quantum regimes to satisfy the criteria highlights both the complications that arise in dealing with quantum systems and the source of the quantum speed up.