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arXiv · 2407.12768

A polynomial-time classical algorithm for noisy quantum circuits

Thomas Schuster·Chao Yin·Xun Gao·Norman Y. Yao
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Abstract

We provide a polynomial-time classical algorithm for noisy quantum circuits. The algorithm computes the expectation value of any observable for any circuit, with a small average error over input states drawn from an ensemble (e.g. the computational basis). Our approach is based upon the intuition that noise exponentially damps non-local correlations relative to local correlations. This enables one to classically simulate a noisy quantum circuit by only keeping track of the dynamics of local quantum information. Our algorithm also enables sampling from the output distribution of a circuit in quasi-polynomial time, so long as the distribution anti-concentrates. A number of practical implications are discussed, including a fundamental limit on the efficacy of noise mitigation strategies: for constant noise rates, any quantum circuit for which error mitigation is efficient on most input states, is also classically simulable on most input states.

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Thomas Schuster, Chao Yin, Xun Gao, Norman Y. Yao. 2024-07-17. A polynomial-time classical algorithm for noisy quantum circuits. https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.12768

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