Can quantum computers do nothing?
Abstract Quantum computing platforms are subject to contradictory engineering requirements: qubits must be protected from mutual interactions when idling (‘doing nothing’), and strongly interacting when in operation. If idling qubits are not sufficiently protected, information ‘leaks’ into neighbour...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2024-11-01
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| Series: | npj Quantum Information |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41534-024-00918-6 |
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| _version_ | 1846147574860349440 |
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| author | Alexander Nico-Katz Nathan Keenan John Goold |
| author_facet | Alexander Nico-Katz Nathan Keenan John Goold |
| author_sort | Alexander Nico-Katz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Quantum computing platforms are subject to contradictory engineering requirements: qubits must be protected from mutual interactions when idling (‘doing nothing’), and strongly interacting when in operation. If idling qubits are not sufficiently protected, information ‘leaks’ into neighbouring qubits, becoming ultimately inaccessible. Candidate solutions to this dilemma include many-body localization, dynamical decoupling, and active error correction. However, no protocol exists to quantify this effect in a similar way to e.g. SPAM errors. We develop a scalable, device non-specific, protocol for quantifying idle information loss by exploiting tools from quantum information theory. We implement this protocol in over 3500 experiments carried out across 4 months (Dec 2023–Mar 2024) on IBM’s entire Falcon 5.11 processor series. After accounting for other error sources, we detect information loss to high degrees of statistical significance. This work thus provides a firm quantitative foundation from which the protection-operation dilemma can be investigated and ultimately resolved. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-49af961f6b2d49958da11f0d9746d4be |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2056-6387 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-11-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | npj Quantum Information |
| spelling | doaj-art-49af961f6b2d49958da11f0d9746d4be2024-12-01T12:38:40ZengNature Portfolionpj Quantum Information2056-63872024-11-011011810.1038/s41534-024-00918-6Can quantum computers do nothing?Alexander Nico-Katz0Nathan Keenan1John Goold2School of Physics, Trinity College DublinSchool of Physics, Trinity College DublinSchool of Physics, Trinity College DublinAbstract Quantum computing platforms are subject to contradictory engineering requirements: qubits must be protected from mutual interactions when idling (‘doing nothing’), and strongly interacting when in operation. If idling qubits are not sufficiently protected, information ‘leaks’ into neighbouring qubits, becoming ultimately inaccessible. Candidate solutions to this dilemma include many-body localization, dynamical decoupling, and active error correction. However, no protocol exists to quantify this effect in a similar way to e.g. SPAM errors. We develop a scalable, device non-specific, protocol for quantifying idle information loss by exploiting tools from quantum information theory. We implement this protocol in over 3500 experiments carried out across 4 months (Dec 2023–Mar 2024) on IBM’s entire Falcon 5.11 processor series. After accounting for other error sources, we detect information loss to high degrees of statistical significance. This work thus provides a firm quantitative foundation from which the protection-operation dilemma can be investigated and ultimately resolved.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41534-024-00918-6 |
| spellingShingle | Alexander Nico-Katz Nathan Keenan John Goold Can quantum computers do nothing? npj Quantum Information |
| title | Can quantum computers do nothing? |
| title_full | Can quantum computers do nothing? |
| title_fullStr | Can quantum computers do nothing? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Can quantum computers do nothing? |
| title_short | Can quantum computers do nothing? |
| title_sort | can quantum computers do nothing |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41534-024-00918-6 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT alexandernicokatz canquantumcomputersdonothing AT nathankeenan canquantumcomputersdonothing AT johngoold canquantumcomputersdonothing |