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Quantum Codes for Controlling Coherent Evolution

Yehuda Sharf, Timothy F. Havel, David G. Cory

Published Apr 7, 2000• 2 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

Control over spin dynamics has been obtained in NMR via coherent averaging, which is implemented through a sequence of RF pulses, and via quantum codes which can protect against incoherent evolution. Here, we discuss the design and implementation of quantum codes to protect against coherent evolution. A detailed example is given of a quantum code for protecting two data qubits from evolution under a weak coupling (Ising) term in the Hamiltonian, using an ``isolated'' ancilla which does not evolve on the experimental time scale. The code is realized in a three-spin system by liquid-state NMR spectroscopy on 13C-labelled alanine, and tested for two initial states. It is also shown that for coherent evolution and isolated ancillae, codes exist that do not require the ancillae to initially be in a (pseudo-)pure state. Finally, it is shown that even with non-isolated ancillae quantum codes exist which can protect against evolution under weak coupling. An example is presented for a six qubit code that protects two data spins to first order.

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Control over spin dynamics has been obtained in NMR via coherent averaging, which is implemented through a sequence of RF pulses, and via quantum codes which can protect against incoherent evolution. Here, we discuss the design and implementation of quantum codes to protect against coherent evolution. A detailed example is given of a quantum code for protecting two data qubits from evolution under a weak coupling (Ising) term in the Hamiltonian, using an ``isolated'' ancilla which does not evolve on the experimental time scale. The code is realized in a three-spin system by liquid-state NMR spectroscopy on 13C-labelled alanine, and tested for two initial states. It is also shown that for coherent evolution and isolated ancillae, codes exist that do not require the ancillae to initially be in a (pseudo-)pure state. Finally, it is shown that even with non-isolated ancillae quantum codes exist which can protect against evolution under weak coupling. An example is presented for a six qubit code that protects two data spins to first order.
Control over spin dynamics has been obtained in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) via coherent averaging, which modifies the effective internal Hamiltonian, and via quantum codes, which can protect against decoherent evolution. Here, we discuss the design and implementation of quantum codes that enable modification of the internal Hamiltonian. A detailed example is given of a quantum code for protecting two data spins from evolution under a weak coupling term in the Hamiltonian, using an “isolated” ancilla that does not evolve on the experimental time scale. The code is realized in a three-spin system by liquid-state NMR spectroscopy on 13C-labeled alanine, and tested for two initial states. It is also shown that with internal interactions and isolated ancillae, codes exist that do not require the ancillae to initially be in a (pseudo-) pure state. Finally, it is shown that even with nonisolated ancillae, quantum codes exist which can protect against evolution under weak coupling. An example is presented for a six-qubit code that protects two data spins to first order.
An exquisite control over the dynamics of a quantum system is essential for realizing any quantum technology. This thesis presents some practical and efficient strategies for coherent quantum control: a paradigm for controlling quantum dynamics using electromagnetic fields. Coherent control is a common framework for describing the physical implementation of quantum logic gates in several quantum information processing platforms including superconducting qubits and trapped ions. For the purpose of demonstration, however, liquid-state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) is used in this thesis as it is an ideal test-bed for developing, testing and benchmarking coherent control tools and techniques. Coherent control was revitalised in 2005 by the development of Gradient Ascent Pulse Engineering (GRAPE), a powerful optimal control technique that is widely used for designing shaped pulses for a variety of tasks. GRAPE, like any other closed-loop optimal control algorithm, requires multiple evaluations of the computationally expensive matrix exponential and the full time-evolution propagator. To this end, I present strategies to sidestep the explicit evaluation of matrix exponentials, thereby offering substantial speed-ups over conventional implementations of the GRAPE algorithm. The results are demonstrated experimentally in NMR, but also in simulations of ultracold molecules and superconducting qubits. Beyond GRAPE, this thesis also considers methods for designing spin-echo sequences for implementing any arbitrary network of controlled-Z gates in a system of qubits with zz-couplings. First, a method based on linear-programming provides near time-optimal sequences in fully-coupled systems having up to a few hundred qubits. Further, an analytic method based on graph colouring finds near time-optimal spin echo sequences in engineered systems with any number of qubits having only nearest and next-nearest neighbour-couplings.
We generate different orders of quantum coherence in a three-qubit NMR system and study their dynamics in the presence of inherent noise. Robust dynamical decoupling (DD) sequences are applied to preserve the different coherence orders. Initially, DD sequences are implemented simultaneously on all three spins, which effectively protects third-order coherence; however, other coherence orders decay rapidly instead of being preserved. The robust DD sequences were suitably modified in order to preserve other coherence orders. These sequences are applied to the two participating qubits that generate each zero- and second-order coherence, ensuring their effective preservation. In contrast, first-order coherence is preserved more efficiently when DD sequences are applied exclusively on the qubit responsible for generating it. Instead of performing full quantum state tomography, coherence orders are measured directly using single pulses. The robust DD protection schemes are applied to successfully protect two-qubit entanglement in three-qubit star states.
Criteria are given by which dissipative evolution in the weak coupling limit can transfer populations and coherences between quantum subspaces, without a loss of coherence. The result is a form of quantum error correction implemented by the joint evolution of a system with a cold bath. It requires no external intervention and, in principle, no ancilla. An example of such a system, consisting of three dipole ordered spin 1/2 particles in a resonator, is given. The qubit, or the triple quantum coherence of the spins, is protected against all spin-flip errors.
We propose a scheme to dynamically realize a quantum memory based on the toric code. The code is generated from qubit systems with typical two-body interactions (Ising, XYXYXY, Heisenberg) using periodic, NMR-like, pulse sequences. It allows one to encode the logical qubits without measurements and to protect them dynamically against the time evolution of the physical qubits. A weakly coupled cavity mode mediates a long-range attractive interaction between the stabilizer operators of the toric code, thereby suppressing the creation of thermal anyons. This significantly increases the lifetime of the memory compared to the code with noninteracting stabilizers. We investigate how the fidelity, with which the toric code is realized, depends on the period length TTT of the pulse sequence and the magnitude of possible pulse errors. We derive an optimal period Topt{T}_{\text{opt}}Topt​ that maximizes the fidelity.
Quantum error correcting codes enable the information contained in a quantum state to be protected from decoherence due to external perturbations. Applied to NMR, this procedure does not alter normal relaxation, but rather converts the state of a 'data' spin into multiple quantum coherences involving additional ancilla spins. These multiple quantum coherences relax at differing rates, thus permitting the original state of the data to be approximately reconstructed by mixing them together in an appropriate fashion. This paper describes the operation of a simple, three-bit quantum code in the product operator formalism, and uses geometric algebra methods to obtain the error-corrected decay curve in the presence of arbitrary correlations in the external random fields. These predictions are confirmed in both the totally correlated and uncorrelated cases by liquid-state NMR experiments on 13C-labelled alanine, using gradient-diffusion methods to implement these idealized decoherence models. Quantum error correction in weakly polarized systems requires that the ancilla spins be prepared in a pseudo-pure state relative to the data spin, which entails a loss of signal that exceeds any potential gain through error correction. Nevertheless, this study shows that quantum coding can be used to validate theoretical decoherence mechanisms, and to provide detailed information on correlations in the underlying NMR relaxation dynamics.