Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:1508.03053 · Physical Review A

Direct characterization of quantum dynamics with noisy ancilla

Eugene Dumitrescu, Travis S. Humble

Published Nov 23, 2015• 6 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We present methods for the direct characterization of quantum dynamics in which both the principal and ancilla systems undergo noisy processes. Using a concatenated error detection code, we discriminate between located and unlocated errors on the principal system in what amounts to filtering of ancilla noise. The example of composite noise involving amplitude damping and depolarizing channels is used to demonstrate the method, while we find the rate of noise filtering is more generally dependent on code distance. Our results indicate the accuracy of quantum process characterization can be greatly improved while remaining within reach of current experimental capabilities.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.92.052329

Related papers

Discrimination of correlated and entangling quantum channels with selective process tomography

Eugene Dumitrescu, Travis S. Humble

The accurate and reliable characterization of quantum dynamical processes underlies efforts to validate quantum technologies, where discrimination between competing models of observed behaviors inform efforts to fabricate and operate qubit devices. We present a protocol for quantum channel discrimination that leverages advances in direct characterization of quantum dynamics (DCQD) codes. We demonstrate that DCQD codes enable selective process tomography to improve discrimination between entangling and correlated quantum dynamics. Numerical simulations show selective process tomography requires only a few measurement configurations to achieve a low false alarm rate and that the DCQD encoding improves the resilience of the protocol to hidden sources of noise. Our results show that selective process tomography with DCQD codes is useful for efficiently distinguishing sources of correlated crosstalk from uncorrelated noise in current and future experimental platforms.

arXiv:1607.05292•Physical Review A•Oct 10, 2016•4 citations

Characterization of quantum dynamics using quantum error correction

S. Omkar, R. Srikanth, Subhashish Banerjee

Characterizing noisy quantum processes is important to quantum computation and communication (QCC), since quantum systems are generally open. To date, all methods of characterization of quantum dynamics (CQD), typically implemented by quantum process tomography, are off-line, i.e., QCC and CQD are not concurrent, as they require distinct state preparations. Here we introduce a method, ``quantum error correction based characterization of dynamics,'' in which the initial state is any element from the code space of a quantum error correcting code that can protect the state from arbitrary errors acting on the subsytem subjected to unknown dynamics. The statistics of stabilizer measurements, with possible unitary preprocessing operations, are used to characterize the noise, while the observed syndrome can be used to correct the noisy state. Our method requires at most $2({4}^{n}\ensuremath{-}1)$ configurations to characterize arbitrary noise acting on $n$ qubits.

arXiv:1405.0964•Physical Review A•Jan 15, 2015•26 citations

Extensions of Randomized Benchmarking

Marie Barnhill

The characterization of noisy quantum circuits is an important step in the development of large-scale quantum computers. As experimental quantum architectures approach the threshold for fault-tolerant quantum computing, obtaining a benchmark of process fidelities is needed to verify the integrity of the system and ensure functionality. Additionally, the ability to successfully implement a quantum code of choice may depend on the type of noise that is present in the system. It is therefore necessary to characterize not only the fidelity of the process, but also the structure of the noise. \n \nRandomized benchmarking is a characterization protocol which extracts partial information from a noisy quantum process. This thesis gives a detailed review of the randomized benchmarking protocol, and presents the results of three collaborative projects which use techniques similar to randomized benchmarking to obtain previously hidden information. The first protocol is designed to obtain a benchmark on loss errors. This protocol also provides information on the detector efficiency and an additional constraint on estimated parameters from randomized benchmarking. The second protocol is an extension of the first, under the special case of coherent leakage errors, for which we obtain an estimate of the leakage rate. The third protocol provides a method of testing for spatial correlations in noisy processes. This test may be used to determine the correlation structure of errors, and the error correcting codes needed for successful experiments in a particular architecture. All protocols presented in this thesis are scalable, platform-independent and insensitive to state preparation and measurement errors. We also provide results of numerical tests of these protocols for simulated noise, which show their accuracy and robustness.

•Aug 18, 2015•1 citation

Single shot distinguishability of noisy quantum channels

Satyaki Manna

Among the intriguing features of quantum theory, the problem of distinguishing quantum channels is of fundamental interest. In this paper, we focus on the single-shot discrimination of two noisy quantum channels using two distinct classes of probes: single-system (product) probes and entangled probes. Our aim is to identify optimal probing state for specific discrimination tasks and to analyze the necessity and role of entanglement in enhancing channel distinguishability. We show that maximally entangled probes are optimal for discriminating two qubit depolarizing channels, with any nonzero entanglement providing an advantage over single-system probes. In contrast, for dephasing channels in arbitrary dimensions, we prove that single-system probe can be optimal and that entanglement offers no improvement, even when the dephasing unitary is generalized. For qubit amplitude-damping channels, we identify distinct noise-dependent regimes in which either single-system probe outperforms maximally entangled probes and vice-versa. Moreover, we demonstrate that non-maximally entangled probes can act as the optimum probe if the noise parameters restricted to certain values in this task. We also present examples of noisy unitary channels for which discrimination is possible using non-maximally entangled probe, while both single-systems and maximally entangled probes fail. We introduce another class of noisy unitary channels for which perfect discrimination is achievable with a single system, while maximally entangled probes are insufficient. Finally, we show that two erasure channels can be optimally discriminated using any pure single-system probe, with no advantage gained from entanglement.

quant-pharXiv:2602.05521•Feb 6, 2026•0 citations

1 Generalized Performance of Concatenated Quantum Codes – a dynamical systems approach

Jesse Fern, Julia Kempe, Slobodan N. Simić +1 more

Abstract — We apply a dynamical systems approach to concatenation of quantum error correcting codes, extending and generalizing the results of Rahn et al. [1] to both diagonal and non-diagonal channels. Our point of view is global: instead of focusing on particular types of noise channels, we study the geometry of the coding map as a discrete-time dynamical system on the entire space of noise channels. In the case of diagonal channels, we show that any code with distance at least three corrects (in the infinite concatenation limit) an open set of errors. For Calderbank-Shor-Steane (CSS) codes, we give a more precise characterization of that set. We show how to incorporate noise in the gates, thus completing the framework. We derive some general bounds for noise channels, which allows us to analyze several codes in detail. Index Terms — Quantum error correction, quantum channels, quantum fault tolerance I.

•Jan 1, 2006•13 citations

Generalized Performance of Concatenated Quantum Codes—A Dynamical Systems Approach

J. Fern, Julia Kempe, S.N. Simic +1 more

We apply a dynamical systems approach to concatenation of quantum error correcting codes, extending and generalizing the results of Rahn to both diagonal and nondiagonal channels. Our point of view is global: instead of focusing on particular types of noise channels, we study the geometry of the coding map as a discrete-time dynamical system on the entire space of noise channels. In the case of diagonal channels, we show that any code with distance at least three corrects (in the infinite concatenation limit) an open set of errors. For Calderbank–Shor–Steane (CSS) codes, we give a more precise characterization of that set. We show how to incorporate noise in the gates, thus completing the framework. We derive some general bounds for noise channels, which allows us to analyze several codes in detail.

arXiv:quant-ph/0409084•IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control•Mar 1, 2006•15 citations
We present methods for the direct characterization of quantum dynamics in which both the principal and ancilla systems undergo noisy processes. Using a concatenated error detection code, we discriminate between located and unlocated errors on the principal system in what amounts to filtering of ancilla noise. The example of composite noise involving amplitude damping and depolarizing channels is used to demonstrate the method, while we find the rate of noise filtering is more generally dependent on code distance. Our results indicate the accuracy of quantum process characterization can be greatly improved while remaining within reach of current experimental capabilities.
The accurate and reliable characterization of quantum dynamical processes underlies efforts to validate quantum technologies, where discrimination between competing models of observed behaviors inform efforts to fabricate and operate qubit devices. We present a protocol for quantum channel discrimination that leverages advances in direct characterization of quantum dynamics (DCQD) codes. We demonstrate that DCQD codes enable selective process tomography to improve discrimination between entangling and correlated quantum dynamics. Numerical simulations show selective process tomography requires only a few measurement configurations to achieve a low false alarm rate and that the DCQD encoding improves the resilience of the protocol to hidden sources of noise. Our results show that selective process tomography with DCQD codes is useful for efficiently distinguishing sources of correlated crosstalk from uncorrelated noise in current and future experimental platforms.
Characterizing noisy quantum processes is important to quantum computation and communication (QCC), since quantum systems are generally open. To date, all methods of characterization of quantum dynamics (CQD), typically implemented by quantum process tomography, are off-line, i.e., QCC and CQD are not concurrent, as they require distinct state preparations. Here we introduce a method, ``quantum error correction based characterization of dynamics,'' in which the initial state is any element from the code space of a quantum error correcting code that can protect the state from arbitrary errors acting on the subsytem subjected to unknown dynamics. The statistics of stabilizer measurements, with possible unitary preprocessing operations, are used to characterize the noise, while the observed syndrome can be used to correct the noisy state. Our method requires at most $2({4}^{n}\ensuremath{-}1)$ configurations to characterize arbitrary noise acting on nnn qubits.
The characterization of noisy quantum circuits is an important step in the development of large-scale quantum computers. As experimental quantum architectures approach the threshold for fault-tolerant quantum computing, obtaining a benchmark of process fidelities is needed to verify the integrity of the system and ensure functionality. Additionally, the ability to successfully implement a quantum code of choice may depend on the type of noise that is present in the system. It is therefore necessary to characterize not only the fidelity of the process, but also the structure of the noise. \n \nRandomized benchmarking is a characterization protocol which extracts partial information from a noisy quantum process. This thesis gives a detailed review of the randomized benchmarking protocol, and presents the results of three collaborative projects which use techniques similar to randomized benchmarking to obtain previously hidden information. The first protocol is designed to obtain a benchmark on loss errors. This protocol also provides information on the detector efficiency and an additional constraint on estimated parameters from randomized benchmarking. The second protocol is an extension of the first, under the special case of coherent leakage errors, for which we obtain an estimate of the leakage rate. The third protocol provides a method of testing for spatial correlations in noisy processes. This test may be used to determine the correlation structure of errors, and the error correcting codes needed for successful experiments in a particular architecture. All protocols presented in this thesis are scalable, platform-independent and insensitive to state preparation and measurement errors. We also provide results of numerical tests of these protocols for simulated noise, which show their accuracy and robustness.
Among the intriguing features of quantum theory, the problem of distinguishing quantum channels is of fundamental interest. In this paper, we focus on the single-shot discrimination of two noisy quantum channels using two distinct classes of probes: single-system (product) probes and entangled probes. Our aim is to identify optimal probing state for specific discrimination tasks and to analyze the necessity and role of entanglement in enhancing channel distinguishability. We show that maximally entangled probes are optimal for discriminating two qubit depolarizing channels, with any nonzero entanglement providing an advantage over single-system probes. In contrast, for dephasing channels in arbitrary dimensions, we prove that single-system probe can be optimal and that entanglement offers no improvement, even when the dephasing unitary is generalized. For qubit amplitude-damping channels, we identify distinct noise-dependent regimes in which either single-system probe outperforms maximally entangled probes and vice-versa. Moreover, we demonstrate that non-maximally entangled probes can act as the optimum probe if the noise parameters restricted to certain values in this task. We also present examples of noisy unitary channels for which discrimination is possible using non-maximally entangled probe, while both single-systems and maximally entangled probes fail. We introduce another class of noisy unitary channels for which perfect discrimination is achievable with a single system, while maximally entangled probes are insufficient. Finally, we show that two erasure channels can be optimally discriminated using any pure single-system probe, with no advantage gained from entanglement.
Abstract — We apply a dynamical systems approach to concatenation of quantum error correcting codes, extending and generalizing the results of Rahn et al. [1] to both diagonal and non-diagonal channels. Our point of view is global: instead of focusing on particular types of noise channels, we study the geometry of the coding map as a discrete-time dynamical system on the entire space of noise channels. In the case of diagonal channels, we show that any code with distance at least three corrects (in the infinite concatenation limit) an open set of errors. For Calderbank-Shor-Steane (CSS) codes, we give a more precise characterization of that set. We show how to incorporate noise in the gates, thus completing the framework. We derive some general bounds for noise channels, which allows us to analyze several codes in detail. Index Terms — Quantum error correction, quantum channels, quantum fault tolerance I.
We apply a dynamical systems approach to concatenation of quantum error correcting codes, extending and generalizing the results of Rahn to both diagonal and nondiagonal channels. Our point of view is global: instead of focusing on particular types of noise channels, we study the geometry of the coding map as a discrete-time dynamical system on the entire space of noise channels. In the case of diagonal channels, we show that any code with distance at least three corrects (in the infinite concatenation limit) an open set of errors. For Calderbank–Shor–Steane (CSS) codes, we give a more precise characterization of that set. We show how to incorporate noise in the gates, thus completing the framework. We derive some general bounds for noise channels, which allows us to analyze several codes in detail.