The design of high-fidelity quantum gates is difficult because it requires the optimization of two competing effects, namely maximizing gate speed and minimizing leakage out of the qubit subspace. We propose a deep reinforcement learning algorithm that uses two agents to address the speed and leakage challenges simultaneously. The first agent constructs the qubit in-phase control pulse using a policy learned from rewards that compensate short gate times. The rewards are obtained at intermediate time steps throughout the construction of a full-length pulse, allowing the agent to explore the landscape of shorter pulses. The second agent determines an out-of-phase pulse to target leakage. Both agents are trained on real-time data from noisy hardware, thus providing model-free gate design that adapts to unpredictable hardware noise. To reduce the effect of measurement classification errors, the agents are trained directly on the readout signal from probing the qubit. We present proof-of-concept experiments by designing X and square root of X gates of various durations on IBM hardware. After just 200 training iterations, our algorithm is able to construct novel control pulses up to two times faster than the default IBM gates, while matching their performance in terms of state fidelity and leakage rate. As the length of our custom control pulses increases, they begin to outperform the default gates. Improvements to the speed and fidelity of gate operations open the way for higher circuit depth in quantum simulation, quantum chemistry and other algorithms on near-term and future quantum devices.The design of high-fidelity quantum gates is difficult because it requires the optimization of two competing effects, namely maximizing gate speed and minimizing leakage out of the qubit subspace. We propose a deep reinforcement learning algorithm that uses two agents to address the speed and leakage challenges simultaneously. The first agent constructs the qubit in-phase control pulse using a policy learned from rewards that compensate short gate times. The rewards are obtained at intermediate time steps throughout the construction of a full-length pulse, allowing the agent to explore the landscape of shorter pulses. The second agent determines an out-of-phase pulse to target leakage. Both agents are trained on real-time data from noisy hardware, thus providing model-free gate design that adapts to unpredictable hardware noise. To reduce the effect of measurement classification errors, the agents are trained directly on the readout signal from probing the qubit. We present proof-of-concept experiments by designing X and square root of X gates of various durations on IBM hardware. After just 200 training iterations, our algorithm is able to construct novel control pulses up to two times faster than the default IBM gates, while matching their performance in terms of state fidelity and leakage rate. As the length of our custom control pulses increases, they begin to outperform the default gates. Improvements to the speed and fidelity of gate operations open the way for higher circuit depth in quantum simulation, quantum chemistry and other algorithms on near-term and future quantum devices.

arXiv:2305.01169IEEE International Conference on Quantum Computing and Engineering (QCE)Sep 17, 20234 citations

Fidelity of single qubit maps

M. D. Bowdrey, Daniel K. L. Oi, Anthony J. Short +2 more

arXiv:quant-ph/0103090Physics Letters AMar 1, 2002171 citations

Benchmarking the Readout of a Superconducting Qubit for Repeated Measurements

Sumeru Hazra, Wei Dai, Thomas Connolly +4 more

Readout of superconducting qubits faces a trade-off between measurement speed and unwanted backaction on the qubit caused by the readout drive, such as T_{1} degradation and leakage out of the computational subspace. The readout is typically benchmarked by integrating the readout signal and choosing a binary threshold to extract the "readout fidelity." We show that readout fidelity may significantly overlook readout-induced leakage errors. Such errors are detrimental for applications that rely on continuously repeated measurements, e.g., quantum error correction. We introduce a method to measure the readout-induced leakage rate by repeatedly executing a composite operation-a readout preceded by a randomized qubit flip. We apply this technique to characterize the readout of a superconducting qubit, optimized for fidelity across four different readout durations. Our technique highlights the importance of an independent leakage characterization by showing that the leakage rates vary from 0.12% to 7.76% across these readouts even though the fidelity exceeds 99.5% in all four cases.Readout of superconducting qubits faces a trade-off between measurement speed and unwanted backaction on the qubit caused by the readout drive, such as T_{1} degradation and leakage out of the computational subspace. The readout is typically benchmarked by integrating the readout signal and choosing a binary threshold to extract the "readout fidelity." We show that readout fidelity may significantly overlook readout-induced leakage errors. Such errors are detrimental for applications that rely on continuously repeated measurements, e.g., quantum error correction. We introduce a method to measure the readout-induced leakage rate by repeatedly executing a composite operation-a readout preceded by a randomized qubit flip. We apply this technique to characterize the readout of a superconducting qubit, optimized for fidelity across four different readout durations. Our technique highlights the importance of an independent leakage characterization by showing that the leakage rates vary from 0.12% to 7.76% across these readouts even though the fidelity exceeds 99.5% in all four cases.

arXiv:2407.10934Physical Review LettersMar 13, 202526 citations

Average fidelity in n-qubit systems

Renán Cabrera, W. E. Baylis

arXiv:quant-ph/0701084Physics Letters AApr 2, 200727 citations

Valley leakage and gate timing errors in SWAP operations of Si-based spin qubits.

Nathan L. Foulk, Robert E. Throckmorton, S. Das Sarma

We investigate the fidelity of a sequence of SWAP gates on a Si-based quantum dot (QD) spin qubit chain. We particularly examine how valley leakage and gate timing error affect the gate fidelity compared to charge noise, which is always present. In our Hamiltonian, each qubit is coupled via Heisenberg exchange to every other qubit in the chain, with the strength of the exchange interaction decreasing exponentially with qubit distance. Valley leakage is modeled through a dissipation term $\gamma$ as appropriate for the experimentally observed intervalley tunneling effect. We show that randomness in the valley leakage parameter has little to no effect on the SWAP gate fidelity in the currently fabricated Si circuits. We introduce disorder in the forms of charge noise and gate timing error and average the fidelities of 10,000 calculations for each set of parameters. The fidelities are then plotted against $J_\text{SWAP}$ , the strength of the exchange coupling corresponding to the SWAP gate. We find that valley leakage decreases the fidelity of the SWAP operation -- though the effect is small compared to that of the known charge noise -- and that gate timing error creates an effective optimal value of $J_\text{SWAP}$ , beyond which infidelity begins to increase.We investigate the fidelity of a sequence of SWAP gates on a Si-based quantum dot (QD) spin qubit chain. We particularly examine how valley leakage and gate timing error affect the gate fidelity compared to charge noise, which is always present. In our Hamiltonian, each qubit is coupled via Heisenberg exchange to every other qubit in the chain, with the strength of the exchange interaction decreasing exponentially with qubit distance. Valley leakage is modeled through a dissipation term $\gamma$ as appropriate for the experimentally observed intervalley tunneling effect. We show that randomness in the valley leakage parameter has little to no effect on the SWAP gate fidelity in the currently fabricated Si circuits. We introduce disorder in the forms of charge noise and gate timing error and average the fidelities of 10,000 calculations for each set of parameters. The fidelities are then plotted against $J_\text{SWAP}$, the strength of the exchange coupling corresponding to the SWAP gate. We find that valley leakage decreases the fidelity of the SWAP operation -- though the effect is small compared to that of the known charge noise -- and that gate timing error creates an effective optimal value of $J_\text{SWAP}$, beyond which infidelity begins to increase.

Oct 21, 20210 citations

\gamma

as appropriate for the experimentally observed intervalley tunneling effect. We show that randomness in the valley leakage parameter has little to no effect on the SWAP gate fidelity in the currently fabricated Si circuits. We introduce disorder in the forms of charge noise and gate timing error and average the fidelities of 10,000 calculations for each set of parameters. The fidelities are then plotted against

J_\text{SWAP}

, the strength of the exchange coupling corresponding to the SWAP gate. We find that valley leakage decreases the fidelity of the SWAP operation -- though the effect is small compared to that of the known charge noise -- and that gate timing error creates an effective optimal value of

J_\text{SWAP}

, beyond which infidelity begins to increase.