No Arabic abstract
We describe an experimental effort designing and deploying error-robust single-qubit operations using a cloud-based quantum computer and analog-layer programming access. We design numerically-optimized pulses that implement target operations and exhibit robustness to various error processes including dephasing noise, instabilities in control amplitudes, and crosstalk. Pulse optimization is performed using a flexible optimization package incorporating a device model and physically-relevant constraints (e.g. bandwidth limits on the transmission lines of the dilution refrigerator housing IBM Quantum hardware). We present techniques for conversion and calibration of physical Hamiltonian definitions to pulse waveforms programmed via Qiskit Pulse and compare performance against hardware default DRAG pulses on a five-qubit device. Experimental measurements reveal default DRAG pulses exhibit coherent errors an order of magnitude larger than tabulated randomized-benchmarking measurements; solutions designed to be robust against these errors outperform hardware-default pulses for all qubits across multiple metrics. Experimental measurements demonstrate performance enhancements up to: $sim10times$ single-qubit gate coherent-error reduction; $sim5times$ average coherent-error reduction across a five qubit system; $sim10times$ increase in calibration window to one week of valid pulse calibration; $sim12times$ reduction gate-error variability across qubits and over time; and up to $sim9times$ reduction in single-qubit gate error (including crosstalk) in the presence of fully parallelized operations. Randomized benchmarking reveals error rates for Clifford gates constructed from optimized pulses consistent with tabulated $T_{1}$ limits, and demonstrates a narrowing of the distribution of outcomes over randomizations associated with suppression of coherent-errors.
One-way quantum computing is a promising candidate for fault-tolerant quantum computing. Here, we propose new protocols to realize a deterministic one-way CNOT gate and one-way $X$-rotations on quantum-computing platforms. By applying a delayed-choice scheme, we overcome a limit of most currently available quantum computers, which are unable to implement further operations on measured qubits or operations conditioned on measurement results from other qubits. Moreover, we decrease the error rate of the one-way logic gates, compared to the original protocol using local operations and classical communication (LOCC). In addition, we apply our deterministic one-way CNOT gate in the Deutsch-Jozsa algorithm to show the feasibility of our proposal. We demonstrate all these one-way gates and algorithms by running experiments on the cloud quantum-computing platform IBM Quantum Experience.
Quantum computers promise tremendous impact across applications -- and have shown great strides in hardware engineering -- but remain notoriously error prone. Careful design of low-level controls has been shown to compensate for the processes which induce hardware errors, leveraging techniques from optimal and robust control. However, these techniques rely heavily on the availability of highly accurate and detailed physical models which generally only achieve sufficient representative fidelity for the most simple operations and generic noise modes. In this work, we use deep reinforcement learning to design a universal set of error-robust quantum logic gates on a superconducting quantum computer, without requiring knowledge of a specific Hamiltonian model of the system, its controls, or its underlying error processes. We experimentally demonstrate that a fully autonomous deep reinforcement learning agent can design single qubit gates up to $3times$ faster than default DRAG operations without additional leakage error, and exhibiting robustness against calibration drifts over weeks. We then show that $ZX(-pi/2)$ operations implemented using the cross-resonance interaction can outperform hardware default gates by over $2times$ and equivalently exhibit superior calibration-free performance up to 25 days post optimization using various metrics. We benchmark the performance of deep reinforcement learning derived gates against other black box optimization techniques, showing that deep reinforcement learning can achieve comparable or marginally superior performance, even with limited hardware access.
As of today, no one can tell when a universal quantum computer with thousands of logical quantum bits (qubits) will be built. At present, most quantum computer prototypes involve less than ten individually controllable qubits, and only exist in laboratories for the sake of either the great costs of devices or professional maintenance requirements. Moreover, scientists believe that quantum computers will never replace our daily, every-minute use of classical computers, but would rather serve as a substantial addition to the classical ones when tackling some particular problems. Due to the above two reasons, cloud-based quantum computing is anticipated to be the most useful and reachable form for public users to experience with the power of quantum. As initial attempts, IBM Q has launched influential cloud services on a superconducting quantum processor in 2016, but no other platforms has followed up yet. Here, we report our new cloud quantum computing service -- NMRCloudQ (http://nmrcloudq.com/zh-hans/), where nuclear magnetic resonance, one of the pioneer platforms with mature techniques in experimental quantum computing, plays as the role of implementing computing tasks. Our service provides a comprehensive software environment preconfigured with a list of quantum information processing packages, and aims to be freely accessible to either amateurs that look forward to keeping pace with this quantum era or professionals that are interested in carrying out real quantum computing experiments in person. In our current version, four qubits are already usable with in average 1.26% single-qubit gate error rate and 1.77% two-qubit controlled-NOT gate error rate via randomized benchmaking tests. Improved control precisions as well as a new seven-qubit processor are also in preparation and will be available later.
We describe an approach to the integrated control and measurement of a large-scale superconducting multiqubit circuit using a proximal coprocessor based on the Single Flux Quantum (SFQ) digital logic family. Coherent control is realized by irradiating the qubits directly with classical bitstreams derived from optimal control theory. Qubit measurement is performed by a Josephson photon counter, which provides access to the classical result of projective quantum measurement at the millikelvin stage. We analyze the power budget and physical footprint of the SFQ coprocessor and discuss challenges and opportunities associated with this approach.
We demonstrate non-classical cooling on the IBMq cloud quantum computer. We implement a recently proposed refrigeration protocol which relies upon indefinite causal order for its quantum advantage. We use quantum channels which, when used in a well-defined order, are useless for refrigeration. We are able to use them for refrigeration, however, by applying them in a superposition of different orders. Our protocol is by nature relatively robust to noise, and so can be implemented on this noisy platform. As far as the authors are aware, this is the first example of cloud quantum refrigeration.