  We introduce a novel Simulated Quantum Annealing (SQA) algorithm which
employs a multispin quantum fluctuation operator. At variance with the usual
transverse field, short-range two-spin flip interactions are included in the
driver Hamiltonian. A Quantum Monte Carlo algorithm, capable of efficiently
simulating large disordered systems, is described and tested. A first
application to SQA, on a random square lattice Ising spin glass reveals that
the multi-spin driver Hamiltonian improves upon the usual transverse field.
This work paves the way for more systematic investigations using multi-spin
quantum fluctuations on a broader range of problems.
