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Clifford quantum computing

Michel R. P. Planat

Published Nov 21, 2007• 0 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

One reports about the embedding of the Pauli group into the Clifford group, and one explicits the concept of Clifford quantum computation, following Gottesman-Knill approach. Normal subgroups of the two-qubit Clifford group are investigated and a link to the generalized quadrangle of other two and hexads in the Steiner system S(3,6,22) is found.

Related papers

Clifford quantum computer and the Mathieu groups

Michel R. P. Planat

One learned from Gottesman-Knill theorem that the Clifford model of quantum computing \cite{Clark07} may be generated from a few quantum gates, the Hadamard, Phase and Controlled-Z gates, and efficiently simulated on a classical computer. We employ the group theoretical package GAP\cite{GAP} for simulating the two qubit Clifford group $\mathcal{C}_2$. We already found that the symmetric group S(6), aka the automorphism group of the generalized quadrangle W(2), controls the geometry of the two-qubit Pauli graph \cite{Pauligraphs}. Now we find that the {\it inner} group ${Inn}(\mathcal{C}_2)=\mathcal{C}_2/{Center}(\mathcal{C}_2)$ exactly contains two normal subgroups, one isomorphic to $\mathcal{Z}_2^{\times 4}$ (of order 16), and the second isomorphic to the parent $A'(6)$ (of order 5760) of the alternating group A(6). The group $A'(6)$ stabilizes an {\it hexad} in the Steiner system $S(3,6,22)$ attached to the Mathieu group M(22). Both groups A(6) and $A'(6)$ have an {\it outer} automorphism group $\mathcal{Z}_2\times \mathcal{Z}_2$, a feature we associate to two-qubit quantum entanglement.

arXiv:0711.1733•Nov 12, 2007•2 citations

Generalized Clifford groups and simulation of associated quantum circuits

Stephen R. L. Clark, Richard Jozsa, Noah Linden

Quantum computations starting with computational basis states and involving only Clifford operations, are classically simulable despite the fact that they generate highly entangled states; this is the content of the Gottesman-Knill theorem. Here we isolate the ingredients of the theorem and provide generalisations of some of them with the aim of identifying new classes of simulable quantum computations. In the usual construction, Clifford operations arise as projective normalisers of the first and second tensor powers of the Pauli group. We consider replacing the Pauli group by an arbitrary finite subgroup $G$ of $U(d)$. In particular we seek $G$ such that $G\otimes G$ has an entangling normaliser. Via a generalisation of the Gottesman-Knill theorem the resulting normalisers lead to classes of quantum circuits that can be classically efficiently simulated. For the qubit case $d = 2$ we exhaustively treat all finite irreducible subgroups of $U(2)$ and find that the only ones (up to unitary equivalence and trivial phase extensions) with entangling normalisers are the groups generated by X and the $n^{\rm th}$ root of $Z$ for $n \in \N$.

Quantum Information and Computation•Jan 1, 2008•22 citations

Generalised Clifford groups and simulation of associated quantum circuits

Sean Clark, Richard Jozsa, Noah Linden

Quantum computations that involve only Clifford operations are classically simulable despite the fact that they generate highly entangled states; this is the content of the Gottesman-Knill theorem. Here we isolate the ingredients of the theorem and provide generalisations of some of them with the aim of identifying new classes of simulable quantum computations. In the usual construction, Clifford operations arise as projective normalisers of the first and second tensor powers of the Pauli group. We consider replacing the Pauli group by an arbitrary finite subgroup G of U(d). In particular we seek G such that G tensor G has an entangling normaliser. Via a generalisation of the Gottesman-Knill theorem the resulting normalisers lead to classes of quantum circuits that can be classically efficiently simulated. For the qubit case d=2 we exhaustively treat all finite subgroups of U(2) and find that the only ones (up to unitary equivalence and trivial phase extensions) with entangling normalisers are the groups G_n generated by X and the n^th root of Z.

arXiv:quant-ph/0701103•Jan 15, 2007•4 citations

Clifford Circuits on Qudits of Mixed Dimension

Milo Moses, Jacek Horecki, Konrad Deka +1 more

Abstract Associated to every finite abelian group G , there is a generalization of qubit Clifford group associated to G . We demonstrate that every G -Clifford gate can be decomposed into some distinguished elementary types: Fourier transforms, quadratic phase gates, and automorphism gates. Combined with earlier results on classical simulation of normalizer circuits, this implies a generalized Gottesman-Knill-type result. We additionally provide circuits for a universal quantum computing scheme based on local two-qudit G -Clifford gates and magic states.

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Eric Kubischta, Ian Teixeira

We perform a complete classification of all 56 subgroups of the two-qubit Clifford group containing the two-qubit Pauli group. We provide generators for these groups using gates familiar to the quantum information community and we reference these groups against the group libraries provided in GAP. We also list several families of groups in higher levels of the two-qubit Clifford hierarchy.

arXiv:2409.14624•Journal of Mathematical Physics•Dec 1, 2025•2 citations

Evolution: the quantum computer paradigm

Michel R. P. Planat

Quantum computing has developed with the goal of classically simulating any unitary time evolution. The Clifford group model deals about stabilizing the time evolution of any Pauli operator, the latter accounting for environmental errors and measurements as well. The size of Clifford group increases drastically with the number of qubits, being related to the allowed symmetries of permutation groups. The zoo of subgroups includes: - the well known gate generators (Hadamard, Phase and Controlled NOT), - entangling (dihedral) teleportation groups, and – in the two-qubit case, a maximal subgroup of the large Mathieu groups. The six-fold peculiar symmetry of the two-qubit system corresponds to an outer property which one may associate to quantum entanglement (see M Planat, Clifford quantum computer and the Mathieu groups, 0711.1733 [quant-ph]).

•Jan 21, 2008•0 citations
One reports about the embedding of the Pauli group into the Clifford group, and one explicits the concept of Clifford quantum computation, following Gottesman-Knill approach. Normal subgroups of the two-qubit Clifford group are investigated and a link to the generalized quadrangle of other two and hexads in the Steiner system S(3,6,22) is found.
One learned from Gottesman-Knill theorem that the Clifford model of quantum computing \cite{Clark07} may be generated from a few quantum gates, the Hadamard, Phase and Controlled-Z gates, and efficiently simulated on a classical computer. We employ the group theoretical package GAP\cite{GAP} for simulating the two qubit Clifford group C2\mathcal{C}_2C2​. We already found that the symmetric group S(6), aka the automorphism group of the generalized quadrangle W(2), controls the geometry of the two-qubit Pauli graph \cite{Pauligraphs}. Now we find that the {\it inner} group Inn(C2)=C2/Center(C2){Inn}(\mathcal{C}_2)=\mathcal{C}_2/{Center}(\mathcal{C}_2)Inn(C2​)=C2​/Center(C2​) exactly contains two normal subgroups, one isomorphic to Z2×4\mathcal{Z}_2^{\times 4}Z2×4​ (of order 16), and the second isomorphic to the parent A′(6)A'(6)A′(6) (of order 5760) of the alternating group A(6). The group A′(6)A'(6)A′(6) stabilizes an {\it hexad} in the Steiner system S(3,6,22)S(3,6,22)S(3,6,22) attached to the Mathieu group M(22). Both groups A(6) and A′(6)A'(6)A′(6) have an {\it outer} automorphism group Z2×Z2\mathcal{Z}_2\times \mathcal{Z}_2Z2​×Z2​, a feature we associate to two-qubit quantum entanglement.
Quantum computations starting with computational basis states and involving only Clifford operations, are classically simulable despite the fact that they generate highly entangled states; this is the content of the Gottesman-Knill theorem. Here we isolate the ingredients of the theorem and provide generalisations of some of them with the aim of identifying new classes of simulable quantum computations. In the usual construction, Clifford operations arise as projective normalisers of the first and second tensor powers of the Pauli group. We consider replacing the Pauli group by an arbitrary finite subgroup GGG of U(d)U(d)U(d). In particular we seek GGG such that G⊗GG\otimes GG⊗G has an entangling normaliser. Via a generalisation of the Gottesman-Knill theorem the resulting normalisers lead to classes of quantum circuits that can be classically efficiently simulated. For the qubit case d=2d = 2d=2 we exhaustively treat all finite irreducible subgroups of U(2)U(2)U(2) and find that the only ones (up to unitary equivalence and trivial phase extensions) with entangling normalisers are the groups generated by X and the nthn^{\rm th}nth root of ZZZ for n∈Nn \in \Nn∈N.
Quantum computations that involve only Clifford operations are classically simulable despite the fact that they generate highly entangled states; this is the content of the Gottesman-Knill theorem. Here we isolate the ingredients of the theorem and provide generalisations of some of them with the aim of identifying new classes of simulable quantum computations. In the usual construction, Clifford operations arise as projective normalisers of the first and second tensor powers of the Pauli group. We consider replacing the Pauli group by an arbitrary finite subgroup G of U(d). In particular we seek G such that G tensor G has an entangling normaliser. Via a generalisation of the Gottesman-Knill theorem the resulting normalisers lead to classes of quantum circuits that can be classically efficiently simulated. For the qubit case d=2 we exhaustively treat all finite subgroups of U(2) and find that the only ones (up to unitary equivalence and trivial phase extensions) with entangling normalisers are the groups G_n generated by X and the n^th root of Z.
Abstract Associated to every finite abelian group G , there is a generalization of qubit Clifford group associated to G . We demonstrate that every G -Clifford gate can be decomposed into some distinguished elementary types: Fourier transforms, quadratic phase gates, and automorphism gates. Combined with earlier results on classical simulation of normalizer circuits, this implies a generalized Gottesman-Knill-type result. We additionally provide circuits for a universal quantum computing scheme based on local two-qudit G -Clifford gates and magic states.
Quantum computing has developed with the goal of classically simulating any unitary time evolution. The Clifford group model deals about stabilizing the time evolution of any Pauli operator, the latter accounting for environmental errors and measurements as well. The size of Clifford group increases drastically with the number of qubits, being related to the allowed symmetries of permutation groups. The zoo of subgroups includes: - the well known gate generators (Hadamard, Phase and Controlled NOT), - entangling (dihedral) teleportation groups, and – in the two-qubit case, a maximal subgroup of the large Mathieu groups. The six-fold peculiar symmetry of the two-qubit system corresponds to an outer property which one may associate to quantum entanglement (see M Planat, Clifford quantum computer and the Mathieu groups, 0711.1733 [quant-ph]).