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Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE

Non-Gaussian states of light as an offline resource for universal continuous variable quantum information processing

Shohini Ghose, Barry C. Sanders

Published Aug 18, 2005• 1 citation
Publisher

Abstract

We prove that continuous variable quantum information processing via Gaussian preserving operations, with Gaussian input states plus a (highly nonclassical) Fock number state, and subject to homodyne measurements and feedforward, can be efficiently simulated on a classical computer. This result reinforces the importance of the cubic phase state as an offline resource for universal continuous variable quantum information processing. We study the practical realization of this state by determining the Wigner function for an approximate cubic phase state prepared via two-mode squeezing with postselection on the signal field by displacing and counting photons in the idler field.

DOI
10.1117/12.619783

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We prove that continuous variable quantum information processing via Gaussian preserving operations, with Gaussian input states plus a (highly nonclassical) Fock number state, and subject to homodyne measurements and feedforward, can be efficiently simulated on a classical computer. This result reinforces the importance of the cubic phase state as an offline resource for universal continuous variable quantum information processing. We study the practical realization of this state by determining the Wigner function for an approximate cubic phase state prepared via two-mode squeezing with postselection on the signal field by displacing and counting photons in the idler field.
We investigate non-Gaussian states of light as ancillary inputs for generating nonlinear transformations required for quantum computing with continuous variables. We consider a recent proposal for preparing a cubic phase state, find the exact form of the prepared state and perform a detailed comparison to the ideal cubic phase state. We thereby identify the main challenges to preparing an ideal cubic phase state and describe the gates implemented with the non-ideal prepared state. We also find the general form of operations that can be implemented with ancilla Fock states, together with Gaussian input states, linear optics, squeezing transformations, and homodyne detection with feed forward, and discuss the feasibility of continuous variable quantum computing using ancilla Fock states.
In continuous-variable systems, non-Gaussian resources are essential for achieving universal quantum computation that lies beyond classical simulation. Among the candidate states, the cubic phase state stands out as the simplest form of single-mode non-Gaussian resource, yet its experimental preparation still remains a great challenge. Although a variety of approximate schemes have been proposed to simulate the cubic phase state, they often fall short when deployed in concrete quantum tasks. In this work, we present a Gaussian optimization protocol that systematically refines the non-Gaussian resources, which significantly improves the performance of both magic-state-based and measurement-based quantum computation. Leveraging task-specific Gaussian operations on approximate cubic phase states, our protocol offers an experimentally feasible approach to enhance gate fidelity in magic-state-based quantum computation and reduce the variance of nonlinear quadrature measurement in measurement-based quantum computation. Building on this framework, we further propose a task-oriented non-Gaussian state preparation scheme based on superpositions in the Fock basis followed by squeezing and displacement. This strategy enables direct tailoring of resource states to specific task goals. Owing to its flexibility and generality, our framework provides a powerful and broadly applicable tool for enhancing performance across a wide range of continuous-variable quantum information protocols.
Continuous-variable cluster states offer a potentially promising method of implementing a quantum computer. This paper extends and further refines theoretical foundations and protocols for experimental implementation. We give a cluster-state implementation of the cubic phase gate through photon detection, which, together with homodyne detection, facilitates universal quantum computation. In addition, we characterize the offline squeezed resources required to generate an arbitrary graph state through passive linear optics. Most significantly, we prove that there are universal states for which the offline squeezing per mode does not increase with the size of the cluster. Simple representations of continuous-variable graph states are introduced to analyze graph state transformations under measurement and the existence of universal continuous-variable resource states.
We propose an experimental design for universal continuous-variable quantum computation that incorporates recent innovations in linear-optics-based continuous-variable cluster state generation and cubic-phase gate teleportation. The first ingredient is a protocol for generating the bilayer-square-lattice cluster state (a universal resource state) with temporal modes of light. With this state, measurement-based implementation of Gaussian unitary gates requires only homodyne detection. Second, we describe a measurement device that implements an adaptive cubic-phase gate, up to a random phase-space displacement. It requires a two-step sequence of homodyne measurements and consumes a (non-Gaussian) cubic-phase state.
We propose a pulse and continuous wave (CW) hybrid architecture of continuous-variable measurement-based optical quantum computation utilizing the strengths of both pulsed and CW light. In this architecture, input and ancillary non-Gaussian quantum states necessary for fault-tolerance and universality are generated with pulsed light, whereas quantum processors including continuous-variable cluster states and homodyne measurement systems are operated with CW light. This architecture is expected to enable both generation of quantum states with shorter optical wavepackets for ultrafast computation and low-loss manipulation and measurement of these states. In this study, as a proof-of-principle, an ultrafast homodyne measurement using a CW local oscillator was performed on single-photon states generated with pulsed light. The measured single-photon state's temporal width was around 70 ps and the value of the Wigner function at the origin was W(0,0)=−0.153±0.003W(0,0) = -0.153\pm0.003W(0,0)=−0.153±0.003, which is highly non-classical. This will be a core technology for high-speed optical quantum information processing.
This review covers recent theoretical and experimental efforts to extend the application of the continuous-variable quantum technology of light beyond "Gaussian" quantum states, such as coherent and squeezed states, into the domain of "non-Gaussian" states with negative Wigner functions. Starting with basic Gaussian nonclassicality associated with single- and two-mode vacuum states produced by means of parametric down-conversion and applying a set of standard tools, such as linear interferometry, coherent state injection, and conditional homodyne and photon number measurements, one can implement a large variety of optical states and processes that are relevant in fundamental quantum physics as well as quantum optical information processing. We present a systematic review of these methods, paying attention to both fundamental and practical aspects of their implementation, as well as a comprehensive overview of the results achieved therewith.