arXiv subjects

Andrea Mari

Publications and source records attributed to Andrea Mari.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2021

Digital zero noise extrapolation for quantum error mitigation

Zero-noise extrapolation (ZNE) is an increasingly popular technique for mitigating errors in noisy quantum computations without using additional quantum resources. We review the fundamentals of ZNE and propose several improvements to noise scaling and extrapolation, the two key components in the technique. We introduce unitary folding and parameterized noise scaling. These are digital noise scaling frameworks, i.e. one can apply them using only gate-level access common to most quantum instruction sets. We also study different extrapolation methods, including a new adaptive protocol that uses a statistical inference framework. Benchmarks of our techniques show error reductions of 18X to 24X over non-mitigated circuits and demonstrate ZNE effectiveness at larger qubit numbers than have been tested previously. In addition to presenting new results, this work is a self-contained introduction to the practical use of ZNE by quantum programmers.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2020

Transfer learning in hybrid classical-quantum neural networks

We extend the concept of transfer learning, widely applied in modern machine learning algorithms, to the emerging context of hybrid neural networks composed of classical and quantum elements. We propose different implementations of hybrid transfer learning, but we focus mainly on the paradigm in which a pre-trained classical network is modified and augmented by a final variational quantum circuit. This approach is particularly attractive in the current era of intermediate-scale quantum technology since it allows to optimally pre-process high dimensional data (e.g., images) with any state-of-the-art classical network and to embed a select set of highly informative features into a quantum processor. We present several proof-of-concept examples of the convenient application of quantum transfer learning for image recognition and quantum state classification. We use the cross-platform software library PennyLane to experimentally test a high-resolution image classifier with two different quantum computers, respectively provided by IBM and Rigetti.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2019

Optimal universal learning machines for quantum state discrimination

We consider the problem of correctly classifying a given quantum two-level system (qubit) which is known to be in one of two equally probable quantum states. We assume that this task should be performed by a quantum machine which does not have at its disposal a complete classical description of the two template states, but can only have partial prior information about their level of purity and mutual overlap. Moreover, similarly to the classical supervised learning paradigm, we assume that the machine can be trained by $n$ qubits prepared in the first template state and by $n$ more qubits prepared in the second template state. In this situation we are interested in the optimal process which correctly classifies the input qubit with the largest probability allowed by quantum mechanics. The problem is studied in its full generality for a number of different prior information scenarios and for an arbitrary size $n$ of the training data. Finite size corrections around the asymptotic limit $n\rightarrow \infty$ are also derived. When the states are assumed to be pure, with known overlap, the problem is also solved in the case of d-level systems.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2019

Optimal probabilistic work extraction beyond the free energy difference with a single-electron device

We experimentally realize protocols that allow to extract work beyond the free energy difference from a single electron transistor at the single thermodynamic trajectory level. With two carefully designed out-of-equilibrium driving cycles featuring kicks of the control parameter, we demonstrate work extraction up to large fractions of $k_BT$ or with probabilities substantially greater than 1/2, despite zero free energy difference over the cycle. Our results are explained in the framework of nonequilibrium fluctuation relations. We thus show that irreversibility can be used as a resource for optimal work extraction even in the absence of feedback from an external operator.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2019

Extractable work, the role of correlations, and asymptotic freedom in quantum batteries

We investigate a quantum battery made of N two-level systems, which is charged by an optical mode via an energy-conserving interaction. We quantify the fraction E(N) of energy stored in the B battery that can be extracted in order to perform thermodynamic work. We first demonstrate that E(N) is highly reduced by the presence of correlations between the charger and the battery or B between the two-level systems composing the battery. We then show that the correlation-induced suppression of extractable energy, however, can be mitigated by preparing the charger in a coherent optical state. We conclude by proving that the charger-battery system is asymptotically free of such locking correlations in the N \to \infty limit.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2018

Narrow Bounds for the Quantum Capacity of Thermal Attenuators

Thermal attenuator channels model the decoherence of quantum systems interacting with a thermal bath, e.g., a two-level system subject to thermal noise and an electromagnetic signal travelling through a fiber or in free-space. Hence determining the quantum capacity of these channels is an outstanding open problem for quantum computation and communication. Here we derive several upper bounds on the quantum capacity of qubit and bosonic thermal attenuators. We introduce an extended version of such channels which is degradable and hence has a single-letter quantum capacity, bounding that of the original thermal attenuators. Another bound for bosonic attenuators is given by the bottleneck inequality applied to a particular channel decomposition. With respect to previously known bounds we report better results in a broad range of attenuation and noise: we can now approximate the quantum capacity up to a negligible uncertainty for most practical applications, e.g., for low thermal noise.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2018

Quantum versus classical many-body batteries

Quantum batteries are quantum mechanical systems with many degrees of freedom which can be used to store energy and that display fast charging. The physics behind fast charging is still unclear. Is this just due to the collective behavior of the underlying interacting many-body system or does it have its roots in the quantum mechanical nature of the system itself? In this work we address these questions by studying three examples of quantum-mechanical many-body batteries with rigorous classical analogs. We find that the answer is model dependent and, even within the same model, depends on the value of the coupling constant that controls the interaction between the charger and the battery itself.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2018

Variational approach to the optimal control of coherently driven, open quantum system dynamics

Quantum coherence inherently affects the dynamics and the performances of a quantum machine. Coherent control can, at least in principle, enhance the work extraction and boost the velocity of evolution in an open quantum system. Using advanced tools from the calculus of variations and reformulating the control problem in the instantaneous Hamiltonian eigenframe, we develop a general technique for minimizing a wide class of cost functionals when the external control has access to full rotations of the system Hamiltonian. The method is then applied both to time and heat loss minimization problems and explicitly solved in the case of a two level system in contact with either bosonic or fermionic thermal environments.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2018

Charger-mediated energy transfer in exactly-solvable models for quantum batteries

We present a systematic analysis and classification of several models of quantum batteries involving different combinations of two level systems and quantum harmonic oscillators. In particular, we study energy transfer processes from a given quantum system, termed charger, to another one, i.e. the proper battery. In this setting, we analyze different figures of merit, including the charging time, the maximum energy transfer, and the average charging power. The role of coupling Hamiltonians which do not preserve the number of local excitations in the charger-battery system is clarified by properly accounting them in the global energy balance of the model.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2018

Charger-mediated energy transfer for quantum batteries: an open system approach

The energy charging of a quantum battery is analyzed in an open quantum setting, where the interaction between the battery element and the external power source is mediated by an ancilla system (the quantum charger) that acts as a controllable switch. Different implementations are analyzed putting emphasis on the interplay between coherent energy pumping mechanisms and thermalization.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2018

Optimal thermodynamic control in open quantum systems

We apply advanced methods of control theory to open quantum systems and we determine finite-time processes which are optimal with respect to thermodynamic performances. General properties and necessary conditions characterizing optimal drivings are derived, obtaining bang-bang type solutions corresponding to control strategies switching between adiabatic and isothermal transformations. A direct application of these results is the maximization of the work produced by a generic quantum heat engine, where we show that the maximum power is directly linked to a particular conserved quantity naturally emerging from the control problem. Finally we apply our general approach to the specific case of a two level system, which can be put in contact with two different baths at fixed temperatures, identifying the processes which minimize heat dissipation. Moreover, we explicitly solve the optimization problem for a cyclic two-level heat engine driven beyond the linear-response regime, determining the corresponding optimal cycle, the maximum power, and the efficiency at maximum power.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2018

Interferometric modulation of quantum cascade interactions

We consider many-body quantum systems dissipatively coupled by a cascade network, i.e. a setup in which interactions are mediated by unidirectional environmental modes propagating through a linear optical interferometer. In particular we are interested in the possibility of inducing different effective interactions by properly engineering an external dissipative network of beam-splitters and phase-shifters. In this work we first derive the general structure of the master equation for a symmetric class of translation-invariant cascade networks. Then we show how, by tuning the parameters of the interferometer, one can exploit interference effects to tailor a large variety of many-body interactions.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2017

Optimal continuous variable quantum teleportation with limited resources

Given a certain amount of entanglement available as a resource, what is the most efficient way to accomplish a quantum task? We address this question in the relevant case of continuous variable quantum teleportation protocols implemented using two-mode Gaussian states with a limited degree of entanglement and energy. We first characterize the class of single-mode phase-insensitive Gaussian channels that can be simulated via a Braunstein--Kimble protocol with non-unit gain and minimum shared entanglement, showing that infinite energy is not necessary apart from the special cases of the quantum limited attenuator and amplifier. We also find that, apart from the identity, all phase-insensitive Gaussian channels can be simulated through a two-mode squeezed state with finite energy, albeit with a larger entanglement. We then consider the problem of teleporting single-mode coherent states with Gaussian-distributed displacement in phase space. Performing a geometrical optimization over phase-insensitive Gaussian channels, we determine the maximum average teleportation fidelity achievable with any finite entanglement and for any realistically finite variance of the input distribution.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2017

Slow dynamics and thermodynamics of open quantum systems

We develop a perturbation theory of quantum (and classical) master equations with slowly varying parameters, applicable to systems which are externally controlled on a time scale much longer than their characteristic relaxation time. We apply this technique to the analysis of finite-time isothermal processes in which, differently from quasi-static transformations, the state of the system is not able to continuously relax to the equilibrium ensemble. Our approach allows to formally evaluate perturbations up to arbitrary order to the work and heat exchange associated to an arbitrary process. Within first order in the perturbation expansion, we identify a general formula for the efficiency at maximum power of a finite-time Carnot engine. We also clarify under which assumptions and in which limit one can recover previous phenomenological results as, for example, the Curzon-Ahlborn efficiency.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2017

The capacity of coherent-state adaptive decoders with interferometry and single-mode detectors

A class of Adaptive Decoders (AD's) for coherent-state sequences is studied, including in particular the most common technology for optical-signal processing, e.g., interferometers, coherent displacements and photon-counting detectors. More generally we consider AD's comprising adaptive procedures based on passive multi-mode Gaussian unitaries and arbitrary single-mode destructive measurements. For classical communication on quantum phase-insensitive Gaussian channels with a coherent-state encoding, we show that the AD's optimal information transmission rate is not greater than that of a single-mode decoder. Our result also implies that the ultimate classical capacity of quantum phase-insensitive Gaussian channels is unlikely to be achieved with the considered class of AD's.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2017

Amending entanglement-breaking channels via intermediate unitary operations

We report a bulk optics experiment demonstrating the possibility of restoring the entanglement distribution through noisy quantum channels by inserting a suitable unitary operation (filter) in the middle of the transmission process. We focus on two relevant classes of single-qubit channels consisting in repeated applications of rotated phase damping or rotated amplitude damping maps, both modeling the combined Hamiltonian and dissipative dynamics of the polarization state of single photons. Our results show that interposing a unitary filter between two noisy channels can significantly improve entanglement transmission. This proof-of-principle demonstration could be generalized to many other physical scenarios where entanglement-breaking communication lines may be amended by unitary filters.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2017

Interferometric Quantum Cascade Systems

In this work we consider quantum cascade networks in which quantum systems are connected through unidirectional channels that can mutually interact giving rise to interference effects. In particular we show how to compute master equations for cascade systems in an arbitrary interferometric configuration by means of a collisional model. We apply our general theory to two specific examples: the first consists in two systems arranged in a Mach-Zender-like configuration; the second is a three system network where it is possible to tune the effective chiral interactions between the nodes exploiting interference effects.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2017

Cut-and-paste restoration of entanglement transmission

The distribution of entangled quantum systems among two or more nodes of a network is a key task at the basis of quantum communication, quantum computation and quantum cryptography. Unfortunately the transmission lines used in this procedure can introduce so much perturbations and noise in the transmitted signal that prevent the possibility of restoring quantum correlations in the received messages either by means of encoding optimization or by exploiting local operations and classical communication. In this work we present a procedure which allows one to improve the performance of some of these channels. The mechanism underpinning this result is a protocol which we dub cut-and-paste, as it consists in extracting and reshuffling the sub-components of these communication lines, which finally succeed in "correcting each other". The proof of this counterin- tuitive phenomenon, while improving our theoretical understanding of quantum entanglement, has also a direct application in the realization of quantum information networks based on imperfect and highly noisy communication lines. A quantum optics experiment, based on the transmission of single-photon polarization states, is also presented which provides a proof-of-principle test of the proposed protocol.

quant-ph↗