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arXiv:quant-ph/0204101 · Physical Review Letters

Quantum Computing by an Optimal Control Algorithm for Unitary Transformations

José P. Palao, Ronnie Kosloff

Published Oct 14, 2002• 342 citations
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Abstract

Quantum computation is based on implementing selected unitary transformations representing algorithms. A generalized optimal control theory is used to find the driving field that generates a prespecified unitary transformation. The approach is independent of the physical implementation of the quantum computer and it is illustrated for one and two qubit gates in model molecular systems, where only part of the Hilbert space is used for computation.

DOI
10.1103/physrevlett.89.188301

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Quantum computation is based on implementing selected unitary transformations representing algorithms. A generalized optimal control theory is used to find the driving field that generates a prespecified unitary transformation. The approach is independent of the physical implementation of the quantum computer and it is illustrated for one and two qubit gates in model molecular systems, where only part of the Hilbert space is used for computation.
The dynamics of a quantum system driven by an external field is well described by a unitary transformation generated by a time-dependent Hamiltonian. The inverse problem of finding the field that generates a specific unitary transformation is the subject of study. The unitary transformation which can represent an algorithm in a quantum computation is imposed on a subset of quantum states embedded in a larger Hilbert space. Optimal control theory is used to solve the inversion problem irrespective of the initial input state. A unified formalism based on the Krotov method is developed leading to a different scheme. The schemes are compared for the inversion of a two-qubit Fourier transform using as registers the vibrational levels of the $X{}^{1}{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}_{g}^{+}$ electronic state of Na2.{\mathrm{Na}}_{2}.Na2​. Raman-like transitions through the $A{}^{1}{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}_{u}^{+}$ electronic state induce the transitions. Light fields are found that are able to implement the Fourier transform within a picosecond time scale. Such fields can be obtained by pulse-shaping techniques of a femtosecond pulse. Of the schemes studied, the square modulus scheme converges fastest. A study of the implementation of the Q qubit Fourier transform in the Na2{\mathrm{Na}}_{2}Na2​ molecule was carried out for up to five qubits. The classical computation effort required to obtain the algorithm with a given fidelity is estimated to scale exponentially with the number of levels. The observed moderate scaling of the pulse intensity with the number of qubits in the transformation is rationalized.
A quantum gate is realized by specific unitary transformations operating on states representing qubits. Considering a quantum system employed as an element in a quantum computing scheme, the task is therefore to enforce the pre-specified unitary transformation. This task is carried out by an external time dependent field. Optimal control theory has been suggested as a method to compute the external field which alters the evolution of the system such that it performs the desire unitary transformation. This study compares two recent implementations of optimal control theory to find the field that induces a quantum gate. The first approach is based on the equation of motion of the unitary transformation. The second approach generalizes the state to state formulation of optimal control theory. This work highlight the formal relation between the two approaches.
The optimal control of unitary transformations is a fundamental problem in quantum control theory and quantum information processing. The feasibility of performing such optimizations is determined by the computational and control resources required, particularly for systems with large Hilbert spaces. Prior work on unitary transformation control indicates that (i) for controllable systems, local extrema in the search landscape for optimal control of quantum gates have null measure, facilitating the convergence of local search algorithms, but (ii) the required time for convergence to optimal controls can scale exponentially with the Hilbert space dimension. Depending on the control-system Hamiltonian, the landscape structure and scaling may vary. This work introduces methods for quantifying Hamiltonian-dependent and kinematic effects on control optimization dynamics in order to classify quantum systems according to the search effort and control resources required to implement arbitrary unitary transformations.
We present a local optimal control strategy to produce desired unitary transformations. Unitary transformations are central to all quantum computational algorithms. Many realizations of quantum computation use a submanifold of states, comprising the quantum register, coupled by an external driving field to a collection of additional mediating excited states. Previous attempts to apply control theory to induce unitary transformations on the quantum register, while successful, produced pulses that drive the population out of the computational register at intermediate times. Leakage of population from the register is undesirable since often the states outside the register are prone to decay and decoherence, and populating them causes a decrease in the final fidelity. In this work we devise a local optimal control method for achieving target unitary transformations on a quantum register, while avoiding intermediate leakage out of the computational submanifold. The technique exploits a phase locking of the field to the system such as to eliminate the undesirable excitation. This method is then applied to produce an SU(6) Fourier transform on the vibrational levels of the ground electronic state of the Na2_22​ molecule. The emerging mechanism uses two photon resonances to create a transformation on the quantum register while blocking one photon resonances to excited states.
Quantum systems are inherently sensitive to environmental noise and imperfections in external control fields, which pose a significant challenge for the practical implementation of quantum technologies. These noise sources degrade the fidelity of quantum gates, making their mitigation a key requirement for realizing reliable quantum computing. In this study, we apply Optimal Control Theory (OCT) within a thermodynamically consistent Markovian framework to design high-fidelity quantum gates in the presence of thermal relaxation. Such a description is essential for realistic modeling and optimization of noisy quantum gates in near-term quantum technologies, where strong control fields and thermal environments act simultaneously. Our approach combines OCT with a control-dependent dissipative generator derived from the non-adiabatic master equation framework based on time-dependent invariants of the free evolution. As a result, the driving fields modify both the unitary and dissipative parts of the evolution. We implement the scheme for one- and two-qubit gates embedded in larger Hilbert spaces and compare direct-control and ancilla-assisted architectures. Using logical-subspace-resolved diagnostics, we quantify how the optimized dynamics redistributes the dissipative action between logical and ancillary sectors in the model systems studied here. In particular, we show that ancilla-assisted control can reduce the effective thermal-noise burden on the logical subspace in the relevant parameter regime, while direct control remains the most effective route when available. High-precision propagation of the full open-system dynamics reveals substantial fidelity improvements, in some cases by orders of magnitude, while clarifying the limits of mitigation at large relaxation rates and temperatures.