A Quantum Adiabatic Algorithm for Factorization and Its Experimental Implementation

We propose an adiabatic quantum algorithm capable of factorizing numbers, using fewer qubits than Shor's algorithm. We implement the algorithm in an NMR quantum information processor and experimentally factorize the number 21. Numerical simulations indicate that the running time grows only quadratically with the number of qubits.
Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures