Quantum computers present a compelling platform for the study of open quantum systems, namely the non-unitary dynamics of a system. Here, we investigate and report digital simulations of Markovian, non-unitary dynamics that converge to a unique steady state. The steady state is programmed as a desired target state, yielding semblance to a quantum state preparation protocol. By delegating ancilla qubits and systems qubits, the system state is driven to the target state by repeatedly performing the following steps: (1) executing a designated system-ancilla entangling circuit, (2) measuring the ancilla qubits, and (3) re-initializing ancilla qubits to known states through active reset. While the ancilla qubits are measured and reinitialized to known states, the system qubits undergo a non-unitary evolution and are steered from arbitrary initial states to desired target states. We show results of the method by preparing arbitrary qubit states and qutrit (three-level) states on contemporary quantum computers. We also demonstrate that the state convergence can be accelerated by utilizing the readouts of the ancilla qubits to guide the protocol in a non-blind manner. Our work serves as a nontrivial example that incorporates and characterizes essential operations such as qubit reuse (qubit reset), entangling circuits, and measurement. These operations are not only vital for near-term noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) applications but are also crucial for realizing future error-correcting codes.
Quantum computers present a compelling platform for the study of open quantum systems, namely the non-unitary dynamics of a system. Here, we investigate and report digital simulations of Markovian, non-unitary dynamics that converge to a unique steady state. The steady state is programmed as a desired target state, yielding semblance to a quantum state preparation protocol. By delegating ancilla qubits and systems qubits, the system state is driven to the target state by repeatedly performing the following steps: (1) executing a designated system-ancilla entangling circuit, (2) measuring the ancilla qubits, and (3) re-initializing ancilla qubits to known states through active reset. While the ancilla qubits are measured and reinitialized to known states, the system qubits undergo a non-unitary evolution and are steered from arbitrary initial states to desired target states. We show results of the method by preparing arbitrary qubit states and qutrit (three-level) states on contemporary quantum computers. We also demonstrate that the state convergence can be accelerated by utilizing the readouts of the ancilla qubits to guide the protocol in a non-blind manner. Our work serves as a nontrivial example that incorporates and characterizes essential operations such as qubit reuse (qubit reset), entangling circuits, and measurement. These operations are not only vital for near-term noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) applications but are also crucial for realizing future error-correcting codes.
In this theoretical investigation, we study the effectiveness of a protocol that incorporates periodic quantum resetting to prepare ground states of frustration-free parent Hamiltonians. This protocol uses a steering Hamiltonian that enables local coupling between the system and ancillary degrees of freedom. At periodic intervals, the ancillary system is reset to its initial state. For infinitesimally short reset times, the dynamics can be approximated by a Lindbladian whose steady state is the target state. For finite reset times, however, the spin chain and the ancilla become entangled between reset operations. To evaluate the performance of the protocol, we employ Matrix Product State simulations and quantum trajectory techniques, focusing on the preparation of the spin-1 Affleck-Kennedy-Lieb-Tasaki state. Our analysis considers convergence time, fidelity, and energy evolution under different reset intervals. Our numerical results show that ancilla system entanglement is essential for faster convergence. In particular, there exists an optimal reset time at which the protocol performs best. Using a simple approximation, we provide insights into how to optimally choose the mapping operators applied to the system during the reset procedure. Furthermore, the protocol shows remarkable resilience to small deviations in reset time and dephasing noise. Our study suggests that stroboscopic maps using quantum resetting may offer advantages over alternative methods, such as quantum reservoir engineering and quantum state steering protocols, which rely on Markovian dynamics.
Surface codes provide a promising path towards large-scale fault-tolerant quantum computers. However, outside the difficulty in engineering qubits, their theoretical realization is hindered by a number of technical implementation details, including the initialization of an encoded quantum state on contemporary quantum computers. We propose a solution to overcome these challenges by utilizing recent theoretical developments in measurement-induced quantum steering. An encoded quantum state is prepared by repeatedly performing the following steps: (1) entangling qubits via a specifically chosen operation, (2) performing measurement on some of the qubits, and (3) resetting the measured qubits' states. We demonstrate our results using numerical simulations of surface codes, noting convergence of state fidelity, and commenting on choices for parameter selection.
In this theoretical investigation, we examine the effectiveness of a protocol incorporating periodic quantum resetting for preparing ground states of frustration-free parent Hamiltonians. This protocol uses a steering Hamiltonian that enables local coupling between the system and ancillary degrees of freedom. At periodic intervals, the ancillary system is reset to its initial state. For infinitesimally short reset times, the dynamics can be approximated by a Lindbladian whose steady state is the target state. For finite reset times, however, the spin chain and the ancilla become entangled between reset operations. To evaluate the protocol, we employ Matrix Product State simulations and quantum trajectory techniques, focusing on the preparation of the spin-1 Affleck-Kennedy-Lieb-Tasaki state. Our analysis considers convergence time, fidelity, and energy evolution under different reset intervals. Our numerical results show that ancilla system entanglement is essential for faster convergence. In particular, there exists an optimal reset time at which the protocol performs best. Using a simple approximation, we provide insights into how to optimally choose the mapping operators applied to the system during the reset procedure. Furthermore, the protocol shows remarkable resilience to small deviations in reset time and dephasing noise. Our study suggests that stroboscopic maps using quantum resetting may offer advantages over alternative methods, such as quantum reservoir engineering and quantum state steering protocols, which rely on Markovian dynamics.
We propose active steering protocols for quantum state preparation in quantum circuits where each system qubit is connected to a single detector qubit, employing a simple coupling selected from a small set of steering operators. The decision is made such that the expected cost-function gain in one time step is maximized. We apply these protocols to several many-qubit models. Our results are underlined by three remarkable insights. First, we show that the standard fidelity does not give a useful cost function; instead, successful steering is achieved by including local fidelity terms. Second, although the steering dynamics acts on each system qubit separately, entanglement in the generated target state is introduced, and can be tuned at will, by performing Bell measurements on detector qubit pairs after every time step. This implements a weak-measurement variant of entanglement swapping. Third, numerical simulations suggest that the active steering protocol can reach arbitrarily designated target states, including passively unsteerable states such as the N -qubit W state. Published by the American Physical Society 2024
We propose active steering protocols for quantum state preparation in quantum circuits where each system qubit is connected to a single detector qubit, employing a simple coupling selected from a small set of steering operators. The decision is made such that the expected cost-function gain in one time step is maximized. We apply these protocols to several many-qubit models. Our results are underlined by three remarkable insights. First, we show that the standard fidelity does not give a useful cost function; instead, successful steering is achieved by including local fidelity terms. Second, although the steering dynamics acts on each system qubit separately, entanglement in the generated target state is introduced, and can be tuned at will, by performing Bell measurements on detector qubit pairs after every time step. This implements a weak-measurement variant of entanglement swapping. Third, numerical simulations suggest that the active steering protocol can reach arbitrarily designated target states, including passively unsteerable states such as the N-qubit W state.
We set out a general protocol for steering the state of a quantum system from an arbitrary initial state toward a chosen target state by coupling it to auxiliary quantum degrees of freedom.The protocol requires multiple repetitions of an elementary step: During each step, the system evolves for a fixed time while coupled to auxiliary degrees of freedom (which we term "detector qubits") that have been prepared in a specified initial state.The detectors are discarded at the end of the step, or equivalently, their state is determined by a projective measurement with an unbiased average over all outcomes.The steering harnesses backaction of the detector qubits on the system, arising from entanglement generated during the coupled evolution.We establish principles for the design of the system-detector coupling that ensure steering of a desired form.We illustrate our general ideas using both few-body examples (including a pair of spins-1/2 steered to the singlet state) and a many-body example (a spin-1 chain steered to the Affleck-Kennedy-Lieb-Tasaki state).We study the continuous time limit in our approach and discuss similarities to (and differences from) drive-and-dissipation protocols for quantum state engineering.Our protocols are amenable to implementations using present-day technology.Obvious extensions of our analysis include engineering of other many-body phases in one and higher spatial dimensions, adiabatic manipulations of the target states, and the incorporation of active error correction steps.