Current NIQST machines have a relatively small number of qubits and a limited circuit depth. In this regard, a class of quantum variational algorithms (VQAs) have been developed to be able to split the computational cost between classical and quantum hardware. In this study, the VQE algorithm has been used in order to solve the problem of propagation modes in rectangular waveguides described analytically by the Helmholtz partial differential equation. The IBM quantum device called manila was used in these calculations to provide noise present in physical hardware. In order to implement the VQE, IBM's proprietary framework called Qiskit has been used. The results show good agreement between calculations run on simulated quantum hardware and those run on real quantum hardware. This agreement between theory and experiment is evidence that high fidelity modeling of electromagnetic fields utilizing quantum hardware is possible.
Current NIQST machines have a relatively small number of qubits and a limited circuit depth. In this regard, a class of quantum variational algorithms (VQAs) have been developed to be able to split the computational cost between classical and quantum hardware. In this study, the VQE algorithm has been used in order to solve the problem of propagation modes in rectangular waveguides described analytically by the Helmholtz partial differential equation. The IBM quantum device called manila was used in these calculations to provide noise present in physical hardware. In order to implement the VQE, IBM's proprietary framework called Qiskit has been used. The results show good agreement between calculations run on simulated quantum hardware and those run on real quantum hardware. This agreement between theory and experiment is evidence that high fidelity modeling of electromagnetic fields utilizing quantum hardware is possible.
Current quantum computers (QCs) belong to the noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) class, characterized by noisy qubits, limited qubit capabilities, and limited circuit depth. These limitations have led to the development of hybrid quantum-classical algorithms that split the computational cost between classical and quantum hardware. Among the hybrid algorithms, the variational quantum eigensolver (VQE) is mentioned. The VQE is a variational quantum algorithm designed to estimate the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of a system on universal-gate quantum architectures. A canonical problem in electromagnetics is the computation of eigenmodes within waveguides. Following the finite difference method, the wave equation can be recast as an eigenvalue problem. This work exploits the quantum superposition and entanglement in quantum computing to solve the square waveguide mode problem. This algorithm is expected to demonstrate exponentially efficiency over classical computational techniques as the qubit count increases. The simulations were performed on IBM’s three-qubit quantum simulator, Qasm IBM Simulator. A shot-based simulation was performed considering computationally based measurements of the quantum hardware. The results of the probabilistic read-out, reported in terms of 2-D eigenmode field distributions, are close to ideal values with a few number of qubits, confirming the possibility to exploit the quantum advantage to formulate innovative eigensolvers.
The advent of noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) systems signifies an important stage in quantum computing development. Despite the constraints due to their limited qubit numbers and noise susceptibility, NISQ devices exhibit substantial potential to tackle complex computational challenges via hybrid classical-quantum algorithms. Among the various hybrid algorithms, variational quantum algorithms (VQAs) are gaining increasing attention due to their ability to solve highly complex, large-scale problems where classical algorithms fail. In particular, the variational quantum eigensolver (VQE) shows its potential in calculating the energies and ground states of large systems, where the complexity of solving such problems grows exponentially and becomes intractable for classical computers. At this regard, the aim of this paper is to extend the use of VQE for solving circular waveguide modes to verify their applicability to mathematically complex EM problems. In particular, we propose to calculate the fundamental and the some higher order modes for both transverse electric and transverse magnetic cases in circular waveguides. This is mathematically challenging due to the nature of geometry and the associated boundary conditions of circular structures. The results confirm the possibility of applying VQE for mathematically complex EM problems, announcing its potential to scale up and solve high-dimensional, large-scale EM problems where classical algorithms can fail.
Variational quantum algorithms (VQAs) are one of the most promising methods that can be implemented on noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) machines to achieve a quantum advantage over classical computers. This article describes the use of a VQA in conjunction with the finite difference method for the calculation of propagation modes of an electromagnetic wave in a hollow metallic waveguide. The two-dimensional (2-D) waveguide problem, described by the Helmholtz equation, is approximated by a system of linear equations, whose solutions are expressed in terms of simple quantum expectation values that can be evaluated efficiently on quantum hardware. Numerical examples are presented to validate the proposed method for solving 2-D waveguide problems.
The efficient computation of higher-order modes in multiconductor transmission lines is crucial, as these modes alter the distribution of TEM modes and increase cross-talk, affecting electromagnetic compatibility and signal integrity in high-frequency circuits. Traditional numerical methods face challenges in handling large-scale eigenvalue problems due to increasing computational complexity. Quantum computing offers a promising alternative by leveraging quantum principles such as superposition and entanglement to solve large eigenvalue problems more efficiently than classical solvers. In this work, we explore the variational quantum eigensolver as a quantum-assisted method for waveguide modal analysis. Starting from the Helmholtz equation for TM modes, we discretize the system using the finite difference method, map the Hamiltonian onto the Pauli basis, and implement the VQE with a hardware-efficient ansatz optimized via BFGS on the Qiskit statevector simulator of IBM [1]. As a test case, we analyze a shielded stripline. The quantum eigensolver successfully computes the first two TM modes and their cutoff frequencies while reconstructing the Ezand Exfield distributions at 1 GHz. This preliminary study shows the feasibility of quantum algorithms for solving large eigenvalue problems in computational electromagnetics where classical computing can fail, opening new possibilities for the efficient analysis of shielded multiconductor transmission lines, where higher-order modes significantly impact cross-talk and signal integrity. Future work will focus on scaling this approach to analyze multiconductor propagation in complex transmission-line structures.
Recent advances in quantum computing and their increased availability has led to a growing interest in possible applications. Among those is the solution of partial differential equations (PDEs) for, e.g., material or flow simulation. Currently, the most promising route to useful deployment of quantum processors in the short to near term are so-called hybrid variational quantum algorithms (VQAs). Thus, variational methods for PDEs have been proposed as a candidate for quantum advantage in the noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) era. In this work, we conduct an extensive study of utilizing VQAs on real quantum devices to solve the simplest prototype of a PDE---the Poisson equation. Although results on noiseless simulators for small problem sizes may seem deceivingly promising, the performance on quantum computers is very poor. We argue that direct resolution of PDEs via an amplitude encoding of the solution is not a good use case within reach of today's quantum devices---especially when considering large system sizes and more complicated nonlinear PDEs that are required in order to be competitive with classical high-end solvers.
Variational quantum eigensolvers (VQEs) are among the most promising quantum algorithms for solving electronic structure problems in quantum chemistry, particularly during the noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) era. In this study, we investigate the capabilities and limitations of VQE algorithms implemented on current quantum hardware for determining molecular ground-state energies, focusing on the adaptive derivative-assembled pseudo-Trotter ansatz VQE (ADAPT-VQE). To address the significant computational challenges posed by molecular Hamiltonians, we explore various well known strategies to simplify the Hamiltonian, optimize the ansatz, and improve classical parameter optimization through modifications of the COBYLA optimizer. These enhancements are integrated into a tailored quantum computing implementation designed to minimize the circuit depth and computational cost. Using benzene as a benchmark system, we demonstrate the application of these optimizations on an IBM quantum computer. Despite these improvements, our results highlight the limitations imposed by current quantum hardware, particularly the impact of quantum noise on state preparation and energy measurement. The noise levels in today's devices prevent meaningful evaluations of molecular Hamiltonians with sufficient accuracy to produce reliable quantum chemical insights. Finally, we extrapolate the requirements for future quantum hardware to enable practical and scalable quantum chemistry calculations using VQE algorithms. This work provides an assessment of current quantum algorithms for molecular modeling on real quantum hardware, highlighting the impact of noise and hardware limitations on the achievable accuracy.