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arXiv:0808.1782 · New Journal of Physics

Architectural design for a topological cluster state quantum computer

Simon J. Devitt, Austin G. Fowler, Ashley M. Stephens, Andrew D. Greentree, Lloyd C. L. Hollenberg, William J. Munro, Kae Nemoto

Published Aug 24, 2009• 91 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

The development of a large scale quantum computer is a highly sought after goal of fundamental research and consequently a highly non-trivial problem. Scalability in quantum information processing is not just a problem of qubit manufacturing and control but it crucially depends on the ability to adapt advanced techniques in quantum information theory, such as error correction, to the experimental restrictions of assembling qubit arrays into the millions. In this paper, we introduce a feasible architectural design for large scale quantum computation in optical systems. We combine the recent developments in topological cluster state computation with the photonic module, a simple chip-based device that can be used as a fundamental building block for a large-scale computer. The integration of the topological cluster model with this comparatively simple operational element addresses many significant issues in scalable computing and leads to a promising modular architecture with complete integration of active error correction, exhibiting high fault-tolerant thresholds.

DOI
10.1088/1367-2630/11/8/083032

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The development of a large scale quantum computer is a highly sought after goal of fundamental research and consequently a highly non-trivial problem. Scalability in quantum information processing is not just a problem of qubit manufacturing and control but it crucially depends on the ability to adapt advanced techniques in quantum information theory, such as error correction, to the experimental restrictions of assembling qubit arrays into the millions. In this paper, we introduce a feasible architectural design for large scale quantum computation in optical systems. We combine the recent developments in topological cluster state computation with the photonic module, a simple chip-based device that can be used as a fundamental building block for a large-scale computer. The integration of the topological cluster model with this comparatively simple operational element addresses many significant issues in scalable computing and leads to a promising modular architecture with complete integration of active error correction, exhibiting high fault-tolerant thresholds.
The development of a large scale quantum computer is a highly sought after goal of fundamental research and consequently a highly nontrivial problem. Scalability in quantum information processing is not just a problem of qubit manufacturing and control but it crucially depends on the ability to adapt advanced techniques in quantum information theory, such as error correction, to the experimental restrictions of assembling qubit arrays into the millions. In this paper, we introduce a feasible architectural design for large scale quantum computation in optical systems. We combine the recent developments in topological cluster state computation with the photonic module, a simple chip-based device that can be used as a fundamental building block for a large-scale computer. The integration of the topological cluster model with this comparatively simple operational element addresses many significant issues in scalable computing and leads to a promising modular architecture with complete integration of active error correction, exhibiting high fault-tolerant thresholds.
Optical quantum computation has represented one of the most successful testbed systems for quantum information processing. Along with ion-traps and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), experimentalists have demonstrated control of qubits, multi-gubit gates and small quantum algorithms. However, photonic based qubits suffer from a problematic lack of a large scale architecture for fault-tolerant computation which could conceivably be built in the near future. While optical systems are, in some regards, ideal for quantum computing due to their high mobility and low susceptibility to environmental decoherence, these same properties make the construction of compact, chip based architectures difficult. Here we discuss many of the important issues related to scalable fault-tolerant quantum computation and introduce a feasible architecture design for an optics based computer. We combine the recent development of topological cluster state computation with the photonic module, simple chip based devices which can be utilized to deterministically entangle photons. The integration of this operational unit with one of the most exciting computational models solves many of the existing problems with other optics based architectures and leads to a feasible large scale design which can continuously generate a 3D cluster state with a photonic module resource cost linear in the cross sectional size of the cluster.
Entanglement is one of the most mysterious and fleeting properties of nature. It is also a powerful resource for quantum information processing. Efforts to design and build a quantum computer are severely constrained by the difficulties of preserving useful qubit entanglement against the environment. Concatenated fault-tolerant error correction provides a framework to perform scalable computation, but is extremely expensive in terms of resources. Direct topological implementations promise robust entanglement and control, but require physical systems with as yet unobserved controllable topological phases. Here we present the first practical scheme for constructing a topological quantum computer based on a 3D cluster state lattice of photons on chip. In contrast to the resource requirements of other schemes, a target error rate of 10^(-16) requires approximately 3000 components per logical qubit. This constitutes a significant advance towards practical quantum computing and leads the way for topological architectures in other implementations.
Photonics is the platform of choice to build a modular, easy-to-network quantum computer operating at room temperature. However, no concrete architecture has been presented so far that exploits both the advantages of qubits encoded into states of light and the modern tools for their generation. Here we propose such a design for a scalable fault-tolerant photonic quantum computer informed by the latest developments in theory and technology. Central to our architecture is the generation and manipulation of three-dimensional resource states comprising both bosonic qubits and squeezed vacuum states. The proposal exploits state-of-the-art procedures for the non-deterministic generation of bosonic qubits combined with the strengths of continuous-variable quantum computation, namely the implementation of Clifford gates using easy-to-generate squeezed states. Moreover, the architecture is based on two-dimensional integrated photonic chips used to produce a qubit cluster state in one temporal and two spatial dimensions. By reducing the experimental challenges as compared to existing architectures and by enabling room-temperature quantum computation, our design opens the door to scalable fabrication and operation, which may allow photonics to leap-frog other platforms on the path to a quantum computer with millions of qubits.
Photonics is the platform of choice to build a modular, easy-to-network quantum computer operating at room temperature. However, no concrete architecture has been presented so far that exploits both the advantages of qubits encoded into states of light and the modern tools for their generation. Here we propose such a design for a scalable fault-tolerant photonic quantum computer informed by the latest developments in theory and technology. Central to our architecture is the generation and manipulation of three-dimensional resource states comprising both bosonic qubits and squeezed vacuum states. The proposal exploits state-of-the-art procedures for the non-deterministic generation of bosonic qubits combined with the strengths of continuous-variable quantum computation, namely the implementation of Clifford gates using easy-to-generate squeezed states. Moreover, the architecture is based on two-dimensional integrated photonic chips used to produce a qubit cluster state in one temporal and two spatial dimensions. By reducing the experimental challenges as compared to existing architectures and by enabling room-temperature quantum computation, our design opens the door to scalable fabrication and operation, which may allow photonics to leap-frog other platforms on the path to a quantum computer with millions of qubits.
Photonics offers a promising platform for quantum computing1–4, owing to the availability of chip integration for mass-manufacturable modules, fibre optics for networking and room-temperature operation of most components. However, experimental demonstrations are needed of complete integrated systems comprising all basic functionalities for universal and fault-tolerant operation5. Here we construct a (sub-performant) scale model of a quantum computer using 35 photonic chips to demonstrate its functionality and feasibility. This combines all the primitive components as discrete, scalable rack-deployed modules networked over fibre-optic interconnects, including 84 squeezers6 and 36 photon-number-resolving detectors furnishing 12 physical qubit modes at each clock cycle. We use this machine, which we name Aurora, to synthesize a cluster state7 entangled across separate chips with 86.4 billion modes, and demonstrate its capability of implementing the foliated distance-2 repetition code with real-time decoding. The key building blocks needed for universality and fault tolerance are demonstrated: heralded synthesis of single-temporal-mode non-Gaussian resource states, real-time multiplexing actuated on photon-number-resolving detection, spatiotemporal cluster-state formation with fibre buffers, and adaptive measurements implemented using chip-integrated homodyne detectors with real-time single-clock-cycle feedforward. We also present a detailed analysis of our architecture’s tolerances for optical loss, which is the dominant and most challenging hurdle to crossing the fault-tolerant threshold. This work lays out the path to cross the fault-tolerant threshold and scale photonic quantum computers to the point of addressing useful applications. A proof-of-principle study reports a complete photonic quantum computer architecture that can, once appropriate component performance is achieved, deliver a universal and fault-tolerant quantum computer.