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arXiv:1604.00279 · Physical Review A

Using recurrent neural networks to optimize dynamical decoupling for quantum memory

Moritz August, Xiaotong Ni

Published Jan 27, 2017• 68 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We utilize machine learning models that are based on recurrent neural networks to optimize dynamical decoupling (DD) sequences. Dynamical decoupling is a relatively simple technique for suppressing the errors in quantum memory for certain noise models. In numerical simulations, we show that with minimum use of prior knowledge and starting from random sequences, the models are able to improve over time and eventually output DD sequences with performance better than that of the well known DD families. Furthermore, our algorithm is easy to implement in experiments to find solutions tailored to the specific hardware, as it treats the figure of merit as a black box.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.95.012335

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We utilize machine learning models that are based on recurrent neural networks to optimize dynamical decoupling (DD) sequences. Dynamical decoupling is a relatively simple technique for suppressing the errors in quantum memory for certain noise models. In numerical simulations, we show that with minimum use of prior knowledge and starting from random sequences, the models are able to improve over time and eventually output DD sequences with performance better than that of the well known DD families. Furthermore, our algorithm is easy to implement in experiments to find solutions tailored to the specific hardware, as it treats the figure of merit as a black box.
Dynamical decoupling (DD) is a low-overhead method for quantum error suppression. Despite extensive work in DD design, finding pulse sequences that optimally decouple computational qubits is not well understood. Using IBM’s superconducting-qubit-based quantum processors, we demonstrate how to empirically tailor DD strategies for an arbitrary quantum circuit and device. These learned DD strategies significantly improve error suppression relative to canonical sequences, with relative improvement increasing with problem size and circuit sophistication. We leverage this to study mirror randomized benchmarking on 100 qubits, Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger state preparation on 50 qubits, and the Bernstein-Vazirani algorithm on 27 qubits. Our empirical learning method finds strategies, in constant time independent of circuit width and depth, provides stable performance over long time periods without retraining, and generalizes to larger circuits when trained on small subcircuit structures.
Dynamical decoupling (DD) is a widely used and resource-efficient technique for error suppression, but conventional DD relies on periodically repeating a short pulse block to refocus the qubit state during idle periods. Imperfections in this block cause residual errors to accumulate, ultimately degrading state recovery over long idle times. Here, we introduce a universal optimal tracking approach that extends the original tracking concept to a fully state-independent setting for designing DD sequences. By monitoring the qubit's evolution at predefined waypoints during optimization, the method dynamically compensates residual errors while preserving regular refocusing. Experimental demonstrations on a superconducting-qubit platform confirm the suppression of error accumulation under static control imperfections, in agreement with numerical predictions. Complementary simulations further show that optimal-tracking-based sequences maintain strong performance under time-dependent noise. These results establish optimal tracking as a practical and hardware-agnostic approach to designing short, robust DD sequences suitable for noisy quantum devices.
Currently available quantum computers are prone to errors. Circuit optimization and error mitigation methods are needed to design quantum circuits to achieve better fidelity when executed on NISQ hardware. Dynamical decoupling (DD) is generally used to suppress the decoherence error and different DD strategies have been proposed. Moreover, the circuit fidelity can be improved by pulselevel optimization, such as creating hardware-native pulse-efficient gates. This paper implements all the popular DD sequences and evaluates their performances on IBM quantum chips with different characteristics for various well-known quantum applications. Also, we investigate combining DD with pulse-level optimization method and apply them to QAOA to solve Max-Cut problem. Based on the experimental results, we found that DD can be a benefit for only certain types of quantum algorithms, while the combination of DD and pulse-level optimization methods always has a positive impact. Finally, we provide several guidelines for users to learn how to use these pulse-level noise mitigation methods to build circuits for quantum applications with high fidelity.
Dynamic quantum circuits integrate unitary evolution with mid-circuit measurement and feedforward, enabling conditional operations essential for efficient quantum algorithms and foundational for fault-tolerant quantum computation. However, such operations introduce measurement-induced errors and control constraints that are not addressed by conventional error-suppression techniques. Here, we introduce an empirical learning framework that optimizes dynamical decoupling (DD) sequences for dynamic circuits at the level of circuit subintervals and qubit subregisters. Applying empirically learned DD sequences, we achieve a three-fold reduction in average dynamic circuit error rates as measured via randomized benchmarking. We apply the learned strategies to the dynamic circuit implementation of the quantum Fourier transform with measurement (QFT+M), demonstrating nontrivial process fidelity on connected chains of up to 20 qubits. Applying the resulting enhancement, we perform a high signal-to-noise QFT immediately following the preparation of a 10-qubit entangled state. Our results demonstrate that empirically optimized DD systematically outperforms theoretically derived sequences for dynamic circuits, establishing it as an efficient approach for error suppression in dynamic quantum circuits, with direct relevance to applications requiring measurement and feedback such as quantum error correction.
Currently available quantum computers are prone to errors. Circuit optimization and error mitigation methods are needed to design quantum circuits to achieve better fidelity when executed on NISQ hardware. Dynamical decoupling (DD) is generally used to suppress the decoherence error and different DD strategies have been proposed. Moreover, the circuit fidelity can be improved by pulse-level optimization, such as creating hardware-native pulse-efficient gates. This paper implements all the popular DD sequences and evaluates their performances on IBM quantum chips with different characteristics for various well-known quantum applications. Also, we investigate combining DD with pulse-level optimization method and apply them to QAOA to solve Max-Cut problem. Based on the experimental results, we found that DD can be a benefit for only certain types of quantum algorithms, while the combination of DD and pulse-level optimization methods always has a positive impact. Finally, we provide several guidelines for users to learn how to use these noise mitigation methods to build circuits for quantum applications with high fidelity on IBM quantum computers.
Quantum computers has the potential to outperform classical computers for certain tasks, but the practical use of quantum computers is limited by noise and errors in quantum systems. Quantum Error Correction (QEC) provides a way for detecting and correcting these errors, but in the presence of complex and correlated noise, efficient decoding still remains a significant challenge. In this thesis, neural network-based decoders are explored as an approach to decode QEC data. In particular, recurrent neural network (RNN) architectures, including Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), are investigated as their are able to capture temporal dependencies and model sequential data. GRU and LSTM models are trained using the data generated with the help of the Stim simulator for quantum circuits that are based on experimental setups. The models are trained to classify error occurrences from detection event data and evaluated under different configurations, including varying number of rounds, code distance and input representation. The results show that both GRU and LSTM models can learn error patterns for shorter sequences and provide competitive decoding performance. However, for longer sequences the models struggle. Overall, this work demonstrates that relatively simple neural network models can be used as alternatives to traditional decoding methods and highlights the potential of machine learning approaches for improving quantum error correction.