arXiv subjects

Daniel J. Brod

Publications and source records attributed to Daniel J. Brod.

26 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2016

Efficient classical simulation of matchgate circuits with generalized inputs and measurements

Matchgates are a restricted set of two-qubit gates known to be classically simulable under particular conditions. Specifically, if a circuit consists only of nearest-neighbour matchgates, an efficient classical simulation is possible if either (i) the input is a computational basis state and the simulation requires computing probabilities of multi-qubit outcomes (including also adaptive measurements), or (ii) if the input is an arbitrary product state, but the output of the circuit consists of a single qubit. In this paper we extend these results to show that matchgates are classically simulable even in the most general combination of these settings, namely, if the inputs are arbitrary product states, if the measurements are over arbitrarily many output qubits, and if adaptive measurements are allowed. This remains true even for arbitrary single-qubit measurements, albeit only in a weaker notion of classical simulation. These results make for an interesting contrast with other restricted models of computation, such as Clifford circuits or (bosonic) linear optics, where the complexity of simulation varies greatly under similar modifications.

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arXiv2015

BosonSampling with Lost Photons

BosonSampling is an intermediate model of quantum computation where linear-optical networks are used to solve sampling problems expected to be hard for classical computers. Since these devices are not expected to be universal for quantum computation, it remains an open question of whether any error-correction techniques can be applied to them, and thus it is important to investigate how robust the model is under natural experimental imperfections, such as losses and imperfect control of parameters. Here we investigate the complexity of BosonSampling under photon losses---more specifically, the case where an unknown subset of the photons are randomly lost at the sources. We show that, if $k$ out of $n$ photons are lost, then we cannot sample classically from a distribution that is $1/n^{Θ(k)}$-close (in total variation distance) to the ideal distribution, unless a $\text{BPP}^{\text{NP}}$ machine can estimate the permanents of Gaussian matrices in $n^{O(k)}$ time. In particular, if $k$ is constant, this implies that simulating lossy BosonSampling is hard for a classical computer, under exactly the same complexity assumption used for the original lossless case.

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arXiv2015

Experimental Scattershot Boson Sampling

Boson Sampling is a computational task strongly believed to be hard for classical computers, but efficiently solvable by orchestrated bosonic interference in a specialised quantum computer. Current experimental schemes, however, are still insufficient for a convincing demonstration of the advantage of quantum over classical computation. A new variation of this task, Scattershot Boson Sampling, leads to an exponential increase in speed of the quantum device, using a larger number of photon sources based on parametric downconversion. This is achieved by having multiple heralded single photons being sent, shot by shot, into different random input ports of the interferometer. Here we report the first Scattershot Boson Sampling experiments, where six different photon-pair sources are coupled to integrated photonic circuits. We employ recently proposed statistical tools to analyse our experimental data, providing strong evidence that our photonic quantum simulator works as expected. This approach represents an important leap toward a convincing experimental demonstration of the quantum computational supremacy.

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arXiv2014

The Computational Power of Non-interacting Particles

Shortened abstract: In this thesis, I study two restricted models of quantum computing related to free identical particles. Free fermions correspond to a set of two-qubit gates known as matchgates. Matchgates are classically simulable when acting on nearest neighbors on a path, but universal for quantum computing when acting on distant qubits or when SWAP gates are available. I generalize these results in two ways. First, I show that SWAP is only one in a large family of gates that uplift matchgates to quantum universality. In fact, I show that the set of all matchgates plus any nonmatchgate parity-preserving two-qubit gate is universal, and interpret this fact in terms of local invariants of two-qubit gates. Second, I investigate the power of matchgates in arbitrary connectivity graphs, showing they are universal on any connected graph other than a path or a cycle, and classically simulable on a cycle. I also prove the same dichotomy for the XY interaction. Free bosons give rise to a model known as BosonSampling. BosonSampling consists of (i) preparing a Fock state of n photons, (ii) interfering these photons in an m-mode linear interferometer, and (iii) measuring the output in the Fock basis. Sampling approximately from the resulting distribution should be classically hard, under reasonable complexity assumptions. Here I show that exact BosonSampling remains hard even if the linear-optical circuit has constant depth. I also report several experiments where three-photon interference was observed in integrated interferometers of various sizes, providing some of the first implementations of BosonSampling in this regime. The experiments also focus on the bosonic bunching behavior and on validation of BosonSampling devices. This thesis contains descriptions of the numerical analyses done on the experimental data, omitted from the corresponding publications.

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arXiv2014

The complexity of simulating constant-depth BosonSampling

BosonSampling is a restricted model of quantum computation proposed recently, where a non-adaptive linear-optical network is used to solve a sampling problem that seems to be hard for classical computers. Here we show that, even if the linear-optical network has a constant number (greater than four) of beam splitter layers, the exact version of the BosonSampling problem is still classically hard, unless the polynomial hierarchy collapses to its third level. This is based on similar result known for constant-depth quantum circuits and circuits of 2-local commuting gates (IQP).

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arXiv2013

The computational power of matchgates and the XY interaction on arbitrary graphs

Matchgates are a restricted set of two-qubit gates known to be classically simulable when acting on nearest-neighbor qubits on a path, but universal for quantum computation when the qubits are arranged on certain other graphs. Here we characterize the power of matchgates acting on arbitrary graphs. Specifically, we show that they are universal on any connected graph other than a path or a cycle, and that they are classically simulable on a cycle. We also prove the same dichotomy for the XY interaction, a proper subset of matchgates related to some implementations of quantum computing.

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arXiv2012

Geometries for universal quantum computation with matchgates

Matchgates are a group of two-qubit gates associated with free fermions. They are classically simulatable if restricted to act between nearest neighbors on a one-dimensional chain, but become universal for quantum computation with longer-range interactions. We describe various alternative geometries with nearest-neighbor interactions that result in universal quantum computation with matchgates only, including subtle departures from the chain. Our results pave the way for new quantum computer architectures that rely solely on the simple interactions associated with matchgates.

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arXiv2011

Extending matchgates into universal quantum computation

Matchgates are a family of two-qubit gates associated with noninteracting fermions. They are classically simulatable if acting only on nearest neighbors, but become universal for quantum computation if we relax this restriction or use SWAP gates [Jozsa and Miyake, Proc. R. Soc. A 464, 3089 (2008)]. We generalize this result by proving that any nonmatchgate parity-preserving unitary is capable of extending the computational power of matchgates into universal quantum computation. We identify the single local invariant of parity-preserving unitaries responsible for this, and discuss related results in the context of fermionic systems.

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