arXiv subjects

Eliot Kapit

Publications and source records attributed to Eliot Kapit.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Roadblocks and Opportunities in Quantum Algorithms -- Insights from the National Quantum Initiative Joint Algorithms Workshop, May 20--22, 2024

The National Quantum Initiative Joint Algorithms Workshop brought together researchers across academia, national laboratories, and industry to assess the current landscape of quantum algorithms and discuss roadblocks to progress. The workshop featured discussions on emerging algorithmic techniques, resource constraints in near-term hardware, and opportunities for co-design across software and systems. Presented here are seven topics from the workshop, each highlighting a critical challenge or promising opportunity discussed during the event. Together, they offer a snapshot of the field's evolving priorities and a shared vision for what is needed to advance quantum computational capabilities.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2024

Fault-tolerant quantum computation with a neutral atom processor

Quantum computing experiments are transitioning from running on physical qubits to using encoded, logical qubits. Fault-tolerant computation can identify and correct errors, and has the potential to enable the dramatically reduced logical error rates required for valuable algorithms. However, it requires flexible control of high-fidelity operations performed on large numbers of qubits. We demonstrate fault-tolerant quantum computation on a quantum processor with 256 qubits, each an individual neutral Ytterbium atom. The operations are designed so that key error sources convert to atom loss, which can be detected by imaging. Full connectivity is enabled by atom movement. We demonstrate the entanglement of 24 logical qubits encoded into 48 atoms, at once catching errors and correcting for, on average 1.8, lost atoms. We also implement the Bernstein-Vazirani algorithm with up to 28 logical qubits encoded into 112 atoms, showing better-than-physical error rates. In both cases, "erasure conversion," changing errors into a form that can be detected independently from qubit state, improves circuit performance. These results begin to clear a path for achieving scientific quantum advantage with a programmable neutral atom quantum processor.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2024

Characterization and thermometry of dissapatively stabilized steady states

In this work we study the properties of dissipatively stabilized steady states of noisy quantum algorithms, exploring the extent to which they can be well approximated as thermal distributions, and proposing methods to extract the effective temperature T. We study an algorithm called the Relaxational Quantum Eigensolver (RQE), which is one of a family of algorithms that attempt to find ground states and balance error in noisy quantum devices. In RQE, we weakly couple a second register of auxiliary "shadow" qubits to the primary system in Trotterized evolution, thus engineering an approximate zero-temperature bath by periodically resetting the auxiliary qubits during the algorithm's runtime. Balancing the infinite temperature bath of random gate error, RQE returns states with an average energy equal to a constant fraction of the ground state. We probe the steady states of this algorithm for a range of base error rates, using several methods for estimating both T and deviations from thermal behavior. In particular, we both confirm that the steady states of these systems are often well-approximated by thermal distributions, and show that the same resources used for cooling can be adopted for thermometry, yielding a fairly reliable measure of the temperature. These methods could be readily implemented in near-term quantum hardware, and for stabilizing and probing Hamiltonians where simulating approximate thermal states is hard for classical computers.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2024

Exponential acceleration of macroscopic quantum tunneling in a Floquet Ising model

The exponential suppression of macroscopic quantum tunneling (MQT) in the number of elements to be reconfigured is an essential element of broken symmetry phases. This suppression is also a core bottleneck in quantum algorithms, such as traversing an energy landscape in optimization, and adiabatic state preparation more generally. In this work, we demonstrate exponential acceleration of MQT through Floquet engineering with the application of a uniform, high frequency transverse drive field. Using the ferromagnetic phase of the transverse field Ising model in one and two dimensions as a prototypical example, we identify three phenomenological regimes as a function of drive strength. For weak drives, the system exhibits exponentially decaying tunneling rates but robust magnetic order; in the crossover regime at intermediate drive strength, we find polynomial decay of tunnelling alongside vanishing magnetic order; and at very strong drive strengths both the Rabi frequency and time-averaged magnetic order are approximately constant with increasing system size. We support these claims with extensive full wavefunction and tensor network numerical simulations, and theoretical analysis. An experimental test of these results presents a technologically important and novel scientific question accessible on NISQ-era quantum computers.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

Iterative quantum optimization of spin glass problems with rapidly oscillating transverse fields

In this work, we introduce a new iterative quantum algorithm, called Iterative Symphonic Tunneling for Satisfiability problems (IST-SAT), which solves quantum spin glass optimization problems using high-frequency oscillating transverse fields. IST-SAT operates as a sequence of iterations, in which bitstrings returned from one iteration are used to set spin-dependent phases in oscillating transverse fields in the next iteration. Over several iterations, the novel mechanism of the algorithm steers the system toward the problem ground state. We benchmark IST-SAT on sets of hard MAX-3-XORSAT problem instances with exact state vector simulation, and report polynomial speedups over trotterized adiabatic quantum computation (TAQC) and the best known semi-greedy classical algorithm. When IST-SAT is seeded with a sufficiently good initial approximation, the algorithm converges to exact solution(s) in a polynomial number of iterations. Our numerical results identify a critial Hamming radius(CHR), or quality of initial approximation, where the time-to-solution crosses from exponential to polynomial scaling in problem size. By combining IST-SAT with future classical or quantum approximation algorithms, larger gains may be achieved. The mechanism we present in this work thus presents a new path toward achieving quantum advantage in optimization.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2024

On the approximability of random-hypergraph MAX-3-XORSAT problems with quantum algorithms

A canonical feature of the constraint satisfaction problems in NP is approximation hardness, where in the worst case, finding sufficient-quality approximate solutions is exponentially hard for all known methods. Fundamentally, the lack of any guided local minimum escape method ensures both exact and approximate classical approximation hardness, but the equivalent mechanism(s) for quantum algorithms are poorly understood. For algorithms based on Hamiltonian time evolution, we explore this question through the prototypically hard MAX-3-XORSAT problem class. We conclude that the mechanisms for quantum exact and approximation hardness are fundamentally distinct. We review known results from the literature, and identify mechanisms that make conventional quantum methods (such as Adiabatic Quantum Computing) weak approximation algorithms in the worst case. We construct a family of spectrally filtered quantum algorithms that escape these issues, and develop analytical theories for their performance. We show that, for random hypergraphs in the approximation-hard regime, if we define the energy to be $E = N_{\mathrm{unsat}}-N_{\mathrm{sat}}$, spectrally filtered quantum optimization will return states with $E \leq q_m E_{\mathrm{GS}}$ (where $E_{\rm GS}$ is the ground state energy) in sub-quadratic time, where conservatively, $q_m \simeq 0.59$. This is in contrast to $q_m \to 0$ for the hardest instances with classical searches. We test all of these claims with extensive numerical simulations. We do not claim that this approximation guarantee holds for all possible hypergraphs, though our algorithm's mechanism can likely generalize widely. These results suggest that quantum computers are more powerful for approximate optimization than had been previously assumed.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2024

Hardware efficient autonomous error correction with linear couplers in superconducting circuits

Large-scale quantum computers will inevitably need quantum error correction (QEC) to protect information against decoherence. Given that the overhead of such error correction is often formidable, autonomous quantum error correction (AQEC) proposals offer a promising near-term alternative. AQEC schemes work by transforming error states into excitations that can be efficiently removed through engineered dissipation. The recently proposed AQEC scheme by Li et al., called the Star code, can autonomously correct or suppress all single qubit error channels using two transmons as encoders with a tunable coupler and two lossy resonators as a cooling source. The Star code requires only two-photon interactions and can be realized with linear coupling elements, avoiding experimentally challenging higher-order terms needed in many other AQEC proposals, but needs carefully selected parameters to achieve quadratic improvements in logical states' lifetimes. Here, we theoretically and numerically demonstrate the optimal parameter choices in the Star Code. We further discuss adapting the Star code to other planar superconducting circuits, which offers a scalable alternative to single qubits for incorporation in larger quantum computers or error correction codes.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2023

Autonomous stabilization with programmable stabilized state

Reservoir engineering is a powerful technique to autonomously stabilize a quantum state. Traditional schemes involving multi-body states typically function for discrete entangled states. In this work, we enhance the stabilization capability to a continuous manifold of states with programmable stabilized state selection using multiple continuous tuning parameters. We experimentally achieve $84.6\%$ and $82.5\%$ stabilization fidelity for the odd and even-parity Bell states as two special points in the manifold. We also perform fast dissipative switching between these opposite parity states within $1.8μs$ and $0.9μs$ by sequentially applying different stabilization drives. Our result is a precursor for new reservoir engineering-based error correction schemes.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2023

Tunable Capacitor For Superconducting Qubits Using an InAs/InGaAs Heterostructure

Adoption of fast, parametric coupling elements has improved the performance of superconducting qubits, enabling recent demonstrations of quantum advantage in randomized sampling problems. The development of low loss, high contrast couplers is critical for scaling up these systems. We present a blueprint for a gate-tunable coupler realized with a two-dimensional electron gas in an InAs/InGaAs heterostructure. Rigorous numerical simulations of the semiconductor and high frequency electromagnetic behavior of the coupler and microwave circuitry yield an on/off ratio of more than one order of magnitude. We give an estimate of the dielectric-limited loss from the inclusion of the coupler in a two qubit system, with coupler coherences ranging from a few to tens of microseconds.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2023

Embedding quantum optimization problems using AC driven quantum ferromagnets

Analog quantum optimization methods, such as quantum annealing, are promising and at least partially noise tolerant ways to solve hard optimization and sampling problems with quantum hardware. However, they have thus far failed to demonstrate broadly applicable quantum speedups, and an important contributing factor to this is slowdowns from embedding, the process of mapping logical variables to long chains of physical qubits, enabling arbitrary connectivity on the short-ranged 2d hardware grid. Beyond the spatial overhead in qubit count, embedding can lead to severe time overhead, arising from processes where individual chains ``freeze" into ferromagnetic states at different times during evolution, and once frozen the tunneling rate of this single logical variable decays exponentially in chain length. We show that this effect can be substantially mitigated by local AC variation of the qubit parameters as in the RFQA protocol (Kapit and Oganesyan, Quant. Sci. Tech. \textbf{6}, 025013 (2021)), through a mechanism we call Symphonic Tunneling. We provide general arguments and substantial numerical evidence to show that AC-driven multi-qubit tunneling is dramatically faster than its DC counterpart, and since ST is not a 1d-specific mechanism, this enhancement should extend to clusters of coupled chains as well. And unlike a uniform transverse field, in higher dimensions this method cannot be efficiently simulated classically. We explore schemes to synchronize the AC tones within chains to further improve performance. Implemented at scale, these methods could significantly improve the prospects for achieving quantum scaling advantages in near-term hardware.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2023

Automated detection of symmetry-protected subspaces in quantum simulations

The analysis of symmetry in quantum systems is of utmost theoretical importance, useful in a variety of applications and experimental settings, and is difficult to accomplish in general. Symmetries imply conservation laws, which partition Hilbert space into invariant subspaces of the time-evolution operator, each of which is demarcated according to its conserved quantity. We show that, starting from a chosen basis, any invariant, symmetry-protected subspaces which are diagonal in that basis are discoverable using transitive closure on graphs representing state-to-state transitions under $k$-local unitary operations. Importantly, the discovery of these subspaces relies neither upon the explicit identification of a symmetry operator or its eigenvalues nor upon the construction of matrices of the full Hilbert space dimension. We introduce two classical algorithms, which efficiently compute and elucidate features of these subspaces. The first algorithm explores the entire symmetry-protected subspace of an initial state in time complexity linear to the size of the subspace by closing local basis state-to-basis state transitions. The second algorithm determines, with bounded error, if a given measurement outcome of a dynamically-generated state is within the symmetry-protected subspace of the state in which the dynamical system is initialized. We demonstrate the applicability of these algorithms by performing post-selection on data generated from emulated noisy quantum simulations of three different dynamical systems: the Heisenberg-XXX model and the $T_6$ and $F_4$ quantum cellular automata. Due to their efficient computability and indifference to identifying the underlying symmetry, these algorithms lend themselves to the post-selection of quantum computer data, optimized classical simulation of quantum systems, and the discovery of previously hidden symmetries in quantum mechanical systems.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2023

Autonomous error correction of a single logical qubit using two transmons

Large-scale quantum computers will inevitably need quantum error correction to protect information against decoherence. Traditional error correction typically requires many qubits, along with high-efficiency error syndrome measurement and real-time feedback. Autonomous quantum error correction (AQEC) instead uses steady-state bath engineering to perform the correction in a hardware-efficient manner. We realize an AQEC scheme, implemented with only two transmon qubits in a 2D scalable architecture, that actively corrects single-photon loss and passively suppresses low-frequency dephasing using six microwave drives. Compared to uncorrected encoding, factors of 2.0, 5.1, and 1.4 improvements are experimentally witnessed for the logical zero, one, and superposition states. Our results show the potential of implementing hardware-efficient AQEC to enhance the reliability of a transmon-based quantum information processor.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2022

Small logical qubit architecture based on strong interactions and many-body dynamical decoupling

We propose a novel superconducting logical qubit architecture, called the Cold Echo Qubit (CEQ), which is capable of preserving quantum information for much longer timescales than any of its component parts. The CEQ operates fully autonomously, requiring no measurement or feedback, and is compatible with relatively strong interaction elements, allowing for fast, high fidelity logical gates between multiple CEQ's. Its quantum state is protected by a combination of strong interactions and microwave driving, which implements a form of many-body dynamical decoupling to suppress phase noise. Estimates based on careful theoretical analysis and numerical simulations predict improvements in lifetimes and gate fidelities by an order of magnitude or more compared to the current state of the art, assuming no improvements in base coherence. Here, we consider the simplest possible implementation of the CEQ, using a pair of fluxonium qubits shunted through a shared mutual inductance. While not necessarily the best possible implementation, it is the easiest to test experimentally and should display coherence well past breakeven (as compared to the limiting coherence times of its components). A more complex three-node circuit is also presented; it is expected to roughly double the coherence of its two-fluxonium counterpart.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2022

Realization of two-qutrit quantum algorithms on a programmable superconducting processor

Processing quantum information using quantum three-level systems or qutrits as the fundamental unit is an alternative to contemporary qubit-based architectures with the potential to provide significant computational advantages. We demonstrate a fully programmable two-qutrit quantum processor by utilizing the third energy eigenstates of two transmons. We develop a parametric coupler to achieve excellent connectivity in the nine-dimensional Hilbert space enabling efficient implementations of two-qutrit gates. We characterize our processor by realizing several algorithms like Deutsch-Jozsa, Bernstein-Vazirani, and Grover's search. Our efficient ancilla-free protocols allow us to show that two stages of Grover's amplification can improve the success rates of an unstructured search with quantum advantage. Our results pave the way for building fully programmable ternary quantum processors using transmons as building blocks for a universal quantum computer.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2021

Small-world complex network generation on a digital quantum processor

Quantum cellular automata (QCA) evolve qubits in a quantum circuit depending only on the states of their neighborhoods and model how rich physical complexity can emerge from a simple set of underlying dynamical rules. For instance, Goldilocks QCA depending on trade-off principles exhibit non-equilibrating coherent dynamics and generate complex mutual information networks, much like the brain. The inability of classical computers to simulate large quantum systems is a hindrance to understanding the physics of quantum cellular automata, but quantum computers offer an ideal simulation platform. Here we demonstrate the first experimental realization of QCA on a digital quantum processor, simulating a one-dimensional Goldilocks rule on chains of up to 23 superconducting qubits. Employing low-overhead calibration and error mitigation techniques, we calculate population dynamics and complex network measures indicating the formation of small-world mutual information networks. Unlike random states, these networks decohere at fixed circuit depth independent of system size; the largest of which corresponds to 1,056 two-qubit gates. Such computations may open the door to the employment of QCA in applications like the simulation of strongly-correlated matter or beyond-classical computational demonstrations.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2021

Error-divisible two-qubit gates

We introduce a simple, widely applicable formalism for designing "error-divisible" two qubit gates: a quantum gate set where fractional rotations have proportionally reduced error compared to the full entangling gate. In current noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) algorithms, performance is largely constrained by error proliferation at high circuit depths, of which two-qubit gate error is generally the dominant contribution. Further, in many hardware implementations, arbitrary two qubit rotations must be composed from multiple two-qubit stock gates, further increasing error. This work introduces a set of criteria, and example waveforms and protocols to satisfy them, using superconducting qubits with tunable couplers for constructing continuous gate sets with significantly reduced error for small-angle rotations. If implemented at scale, NISQ algorithm performance would be significantly improved by our error-divisible gate protocols.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2021

Building a Quantum Engineering Undergraduate Program

The rapidly growing quantum information science and engineering (QISE) industry will require both quantum-aware and quantum-proficient engineers at the bachelor's level. We provide a roadmap for building a quantum engineering education program to satisfy this need. For quantum-aware engineers, we describe how to design a first quantum engineering course accessible to all STEM students. For the education and training of quantum-proficient engineers, we detail both a quantum engineering minor accessible to all STEM majors, and a quantum track directly integrated into individual engineering majors. We propose that such programs typically require only three or four newly developed courses that complement existing engineering and science classes available on most larger campuses. We describe a conceptual quantum information science course for implementation at any post-secondary institution, including community colleges and military schools. QISE presents extraordinary opportunities to work towards rectifying issues of inclusivity and equity that continue to be pervasive within engineering. We present a plan to do so and describe how quantum engineering education presents an excellent set of education research opportunities. Finally, we outline a hands-on training plan on quantum hardware, a key component of any quantum engineering program, with a variety of technologies including optics, atoms and ions, cryogenic and solid-state technologies, nanofabrication, and control and readout electronics. Our recommendations provide a flexible framework that can be tailored for academic institutions ranging from teaching and undergraduate-focused two- and four-year colleges to research-intensive universities.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2021

Tomography in the presence of stray inter-qubit coupling

Tomography is an indispensable part of quantum computation as it enables diagnosis of a quantum process through state reconstruction. Existing tomographic protocols are based on determining expectation values of various Pauli operators which typically require single-qubit rotations. However, in realistic systems, qubits often develop some form of unavoidable stray coupling making it difficult to manipulate one qubit independent of its partners. Consequently, standard protocols applied to those systems result in unfaithful reproduction of the true quantum state. We have developed a protocol, called coupling compensated tomography, that can correct for errors due to parasitic couplings completely in software and accurately determine the quantum state. We demonstrate the performance of our scheme on a system of two transmon qubits with always-on $\textit{ZZ}$ coupling. Our technique is a generic tomography tool that can be applied to large systems with different types of stray inter-qubit couplings and facilitates the use of arbitrary tomography pulses and even non-orthogonal axes of rotation.

quant-ph↗