Adiabatic evolution of quantum states with digital and hybrid digital/analog gates

Quantum computers are positioned to provide exact simulations of dynamical processes in microscopic systems currently unsolvable by classical computers. An important step in realizing these and other types of quantum simulations is the preparation of the quantum devices in arbitrary quantum states. Quantum adiabatic evolution algorithms can be employed to slowly bring the quantum computer to the ground state of a final Hamiltonian encoding the desired solution, starting from the ground state of a much simpler initial Hamiltonian. However, the large number of gates typically required by such algorithms (or gate depth) of such algorithms inhibits their efficacy and limits the subsequent use of that prepared state in follow-on simulations. I will present a study on applying hybrid digital/analog gates to mitigate this gate-depth proliferation within a two-spin system, comparing results to more typical digital quantum simulations.