Quantum computing has received significant amounts of interest from many different research communities over the last few years. Although there are many introductory texts that focus on the algorithmic parts of quantum computing, there is a dearth of publications that describe the modeling, calibration and operation of current quantum computing devices. One aim of this report is to fill that void by providing a case study that walks through the entire procedure from the characterization and optimal control of a qudit device at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) to the validation of the results. A goal of the report is to provide an introduction for students and researchers, especially computational mathematicians, who are interested in but new to quantum computing. Both experimental and mathematical aspects of this procedure are discussed. We present a description of the LLNL QuDIT testbed, the mathematical models that are used to describe it, and the numerical methods that are used to to design optimal controls. We also present experimental and computational methods that can be used to characterize a quantum device. Finally, an experimental validation of an optimized control pulse is presented, which relies on the accuracy of the characterization and the optimal control methodologies.
Quantum computing has received significant amounts of interest from many different research communities over the last few years. Although there are many introductory texts that focus on the algorithmic parts of quantum computing, there is a dearth of publications that describe the modeling, calibration and operation of current quantum computing devices. One aim of this report is to fill that void by providing a case study that walks through the entire procedure from the characterization and optimal control of a qudit device at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) to the validation of the results. A goal of the report is to provide an introduction for students and researchers, especially computational mathematicians, who are interested in but new to quantum computing. Both experimental and mathematical aspects of this procedure are discussed. We present a description of the LLNL QuDIT testbed, the mathematical models that are used to describe it, and the numerical methods that are used to to design optimal controls. We also present experimental and computational methods that can be used to characterize a quantum device. Finally, an experimental validation of an optimized control pulse is presented, which relies on the accuracy of the characterization and the optimal control methodologies.
ABSTRACT: Recent research has tackled the problem of mitigating noise present in quantum computers in the Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum (NISQ) era to enable precise computations and to benefit from the intrinsic properties of quantum mechanics. For this matter, an important task is the characterization of qubits available in quantum devices so as to provide insights on how to reduce noise on the final output of a quantum circuit. Characterization comprises analysis of noise sources and this information can be used to reduce noise with methods such as Cycle Benchmarking, Quantum Error Mitigation, Quantum Error Correction and others. Here, we study optimization of pulses through Quantum Optimal Control (QOC) to obtain higher gate fidelity. We will explore an algorithm that performs calibration on specific quantum gates by implementing optimized pulse schedules to subsequently use the algorithm for analysis of noise sources. Using calibrated gates as input, several benchmarking protocols, including pulse noise extrapolation, leakage analysis from quantum optimal control, and machine learning based classification of qubit readout, will be tested to extract precise information on how noise influences the analyzed qubits. We will explain and discuss different techniques for obtaining properties of qubits and quantum computers. We will implement state discrimination with a Machine Learning (ML) focus to analyze readout errors caused by factors such as cross-talk and leakage into higher quantum states. We will perform noise fitting of optimized pulses and evaluate the effectiveness of important quantum algorithms at the pulse level.
This study optimizes qubit control protocols using optimal control theory, machine learning, and stochastic modeling to enhance quantum computing performance. Quantum computing represents a transformative leap in computational power, with qubits serving as the fundamental building blocks of quantum information processing. However, the efficient control and manipulation of qubits remain significant challenges due to decoherence, noise, and imperfect control pulses. This study focuses on optimizing qubit control protocols using advanced applied mathematical techniques, including optimal control theory, machine learning, and stochastic modeling, to enhance quantum computing performance. By leveraging these techniques, we develop robust control strategies that minimize errors, improve gate fidelity, and extend coherence times. Our methodology integrates numerical simulations with experimental validation, demonstrating significant improvements in qubit control accuracy and reliability. The results highlight the potential of these optimized protocols to enable scalable and fault-tolerant quantum computing. This work contributes to the ongoing efforts to realize practical quantum technologies, offering insights into the interplay between mathematical optimization and quantum system dynamics.
Quantum computing is a fascinating interdisciplinary research field that promises to revolutionize computing by efficiently solving previously intractable problems. Recent years have seen tremendous progress on both the experimental realization of quantum computing devices and the development and implementation of quantum algorithms. However, realizing the computational advantages of quantum computers in practice remains a widely open problem due to numerous fundamental challenges. Interestingly, many of these challenges are connected to performance, robustness, scalability, optimization, or feedback, all of which are central concepts in control theory.This article provides a tutorial introduction to quantum computing from the perspective of control theory. We introduce the mathematical framework of quantum algorithms ranging from basic elements, including quantum bits and quantum gates, to more advanced concepts, such as variational quantum algorithms and quantum errors. The tutorial only requires basic knowledge of linear algebra and, in particular, no prior exposure to quantum physics. Our main goal is to equip readers with the mathematical basics required to understand and possibly solve (control-related) problems in quantum computing. In particular, beyond the tutorial introduction, we provide a list of research challenges in the field of quantum computing and discuss their connections to control.
We explore methodologies for characterizing and controlling small quantum systems. We are interested in starting with a description of a quantum system, designing estimators for parameters of the system, developing robust and high-fidelity gates for the system using knowledge of these parameters, and experimentally verifying the performance of these gates. A strong emphasis is placed on using rigorous statistical methods, especially Bayesian ones, to analyze quantum system data. Throughout this thesis, the Nitrogen Vacancy system is used as an experimental testbed. Characterization of system parameters is done using quantum Hamiltonian learning, where we explore the use of adaptive experiment design to speed up learning rates. Gates for the full three-level system are designed with numerical optimal control methods that take into account imperfections of the control hardware. Gate quality is assessed using randomized benchmarking protocols, including standard randomized benchmarking, unitarity benchmarking, and leakage/loss benchmarking.
Quantum simulation is one of the most relevant applications of quantum computation for the near future, due to its scientific impact and also because quantum simulation algorithms are typically less demanding than generalized quantum computations. Ultimately, the success of a quantum simulation depends on the amount and reliability of information one is able to extract from the results. In such a context, this work reviews the theory behind quantum simulation, with a focus on digital quantum simulation. The concepts of efficiency and reliability in quantum simulations are discussed, particularly for implementations of digital simulation algorithms in state-of-the-art quantum computers. A review of approaches for quantum characterization, verification and validation techniques (QCVV) is also presented. A digital quantum simulation of the Schrödinger equation for a single particle in 1 spatial dimension was experimentally implemented and analyzed, along with a quantum state tomography procedure for characterization of the final quantum state and evaluation of simulation reliability. From the literature, it is shown that digital quantum simulation is theoretically sound and experimentally feasible, with several applications in a wide range of physics-related fields. Nonetheless, a number of conditions arise that must be observed for a truly efficient implementation of a digital quantum simulation, from theoretical conception to experimental circuit design. The review of QCVV techniques highlights the need for characterization and validation techniques that could be efficiently implemented for current models of quantum computation, particularly in instances where classical verification is not tractable. However, there are proposals for efficient verification procedures when a set of parameters defining the final result of the simulation is known. The experimental simulation demonstrated partial success in comparison with an ideal quantum simulation. From the results it is apparent that better coherence times, better reliability and finer control are as decisive for the advancement of quantum computing power as the more-publicized number of qubits of a given device.
As the size and complexity of a quantum computer increases, quantum bit (qubit) characterization and gate optimization become complex and time-consuming tasks. Current calibration techniques require complicated and verbose measurements to tune up qubits and gates, which cannot easily expand to the large-scale quantum systems. We develop a concise and automatic calibration protocol to characterize qubits and optimize gates using QubiC, which is an open source FPGA (field-programmable gate array) based control and measurement system for superconducting quantum information processors. We propose mutli-dimensional loss-based optimization of single-qubit gates and full XY-plane measurement method for the two-qubit CNOT gate calibration. We demonstrate the QubiC automatic calibration protocols are capable of delivering high-fidelity gates on the state-of-the-art transmon-type processor operating at the Advanced Quantum Testbed at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The single-qubit and two-qubit Clifford gate infidelities measured by randomized benchmarking are of 4.9(1.1)×10−4 and 1.4(3)×10−2, respectively.