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arXiv:quant-ph/0412059 · New Journal of Physics

Encoding a qubit into multilevel subspaces

Matthew Grace, Constantin Brif, HERSCHEL A. RABITZ, Ian A. Walmsley, Robert L. Kosut, Daniel A. Lidar

Published Mar 9, 2006• 45 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We present a formalism for encoding the logical basis of a qubit into subspaces of multiple physical levels. The need for this multilevel encoding (MLE) arises naturally in situations where the speed of quantum operations exceeds the limits imposed by the addressability of individual energy levels of the qubit physical system. A basic feature of the MLE formalism is the logical equivalence of different physical states and correspondingly, of different physical transformations. This logical equivalence is a source of a significant flexibility in designing logical operations, while the multilevel structure inherently accommodates fast and intense broadband controls thereby facilitating faster quantum operations. Another important practical advantage of MLE is the ability to maintain full quantum-computational fidelity in the presence of mixing and decoherence within encoding subspaces. The formalism is developed in detail for single-qubit operations and generalized for multiple qubits. As an illustrative example, we perform a simulation of closed-loop optimal control of single-qubit operations for a model multilevel system, and subsequently apply these operations at finite temperatures to investigate the effect of decoherence on operational fidelity.

DOI
10.1088/1367-2630/8/3/035

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We present a formalism for encoding the logical basis of a qubit into subspaces of multiple physical levels. The need for this multilevel encoding (MLE) arises naturally in situations where the speed of quantum operations exceeds the limits imposed by the addressability of individual energy levels of the qubit physical system. A basic feature of the MLE formalism is the logical equivalence of different physical states and correspondingly, of different physical transformations. This logical equivalence is a source of a significant flexibility in designing logical operations, while the multilevel structure inherently accommodates fast and intense broadband controls thereby facilitating faster quantum operations. Another important practical advantage of MLE is the ability to maintain full quantum-computational fidelity in the presence of mixing and decoherence within encoding subspaces. The formalism is developed in detail for single-qubit operations and generalized for multiple qubits. As an illustrative example, we perform a simulation of closed-loop optimal control of single-qubit operations for a model multilevel system, and subsequently apply these operations at finite temperatures to investigate the effect of decoherence on operational fidelity.
Decoherence-free subspaces protect quantum information from the effects of noise that is correlated across the physical qubits used to implement them. Given the ability to impose suitable Hamiltonians upon such a multi-qubit system, one can also implement a set of logical gates which enables universal computation on this information without compromising this protection. Real physical systems, however, seldom come with the correct Hamiltonians built-in, let alone the ability to turn them off and on at will. In the course of our development of quantum information processing devices based on liquid-state NMR, we have found the task of operating on quantum information encoded in decoherence-free subspaces rather more challenging than is commonly assumed. This contribution presents an overview of these challenges and the methods we have developed for overcoming them in practice. These methods promise to be broadly applicable to many of the physical systems proposed for the implementation of quantum information processing devices.
In general, implementing a multi-logical-qubit gate by manipulating quantum states in a decoherence-free subspace (DFS) becomes more complex and difficult when increasing the number of logical qubits. In this work, we propose an idea to realize quantum gates by manipulating quantum states outside their DFS but having the states of the logical qubits remain in their DFS before and after the gate operation. This proposal has the following features: (i) because the states are manipulated outside the DFS, the multiqubit gate implementation can be simplified when compared to realizing a multiqubit gate via manipulating quantum states within the DFS, which usually requires unitary operations over a large DFS, and (ii) because the states of the logical qubits return to the DFS after the gate operation, the errors caused by decoherence during the gate operation are not accumulated for a long-running calculation, and the states of the logical qubits are immune to decoherence when they are stored. Based on this proposal, we then present a way for realizing a multi-target-qubit controlled-not gate using logical qubits encoded in a decoherence-free subspace against collective dephasing. This gate is realized by employing qutrits (three-level quantum systems) placed in a cavity or coupled to a resonator. This proposal has the following advantages: (i) the states of the logical qubits return to their DFS after the gate operation; (ii) the gate can be implemented with only a few basic operations; (iii) the gate operation time is independent of the number of logical qubits; (iv) this gate can be deterministically implemented because no measurement is needed; (v) the intermediate higher-energy level for all qutrits is not occupied during the entire operation, thus decoherence from this level is greatly suppressed; (vi) this proposal is universal and can be applied to realize the proposed gate using natural atoms or artificial atoms (e.g., quantum dots, nitrogen-vacancy centers, and various superconducting qutrits, etc.) placed in a cavity or coupled to a resonator. As an application, we also show how to apply this gate to create a Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) entangled state of multiple logical qubits encoded in DFS, and further investigate the experimental feasibility for creating the GHZ state of three logical qubits in the DFS, by using six superconducting transmon qutrits coupled to a one-dimensional coplanar waveguide resonator.
Universal quantum computers require fault-tolerant logical qudits, as qudits naturally align with the simulation of multi-level physical systems. Here, we present a general framework and working examples for encoding fault-tolerant logical qudits in finite-dimensional spin systems. We construct distance-333, distance-555 codewords, and general 2t+12t+12t+1-distance codes that can be implemented using a single physical qudit or a small number of coupled qudits for higher distances, while requiring a Hilbert space dimension significantly smaller than conventional constructions based on multiple logical qubits. Logical operations and error correction protocols can be implemented with polynomial scaling in the number of elementary operations. We further discuss schematic designs for physical implementation and required single-gate fidelities, which are compatible with current spin qudit platforms. This strategy provides a resource-efficient path toward realizing fault-tolerant logical qudits in finite multi-level physical systems.
Current schemes for implementing quantum logic involve controlled coupling between two-level systems, or qubits, which requires a large number of qubits to be entangled coherently for information processing. A multilevel basis for quantum information minimizes the number of systems that need to be entangled. We present the requirements for multilevel quantum logic in a dual basis formalism that emphasizes the key role played by the Fourier transform in quantum algorithms. We discuss a realization in atomic systems, where the two bases consist of energy levels and wave packets, and examine the practical resources needed for controlling each basis.
Abstract In a digital quantum simulator, basic two-qubit interactions are manipulated by means of fast local control operations to establish a desired target Hamiltonian. Here we consider a quantum simulator based on logical systems, i.e. where several physical qubits are used to represent a single logical two-level system to obtain enhanced and simple control over effective interactions between logical systems. Fixed, distance-dependent pairwise interactions between the physical qubits lead to effective interactions between the logical systems, which can be fully controlled solely by the choice of their internal state. This allows one to directly manipulate the topology and strength of effective interactions between logical systems. We show how to choose and generate the required states of logical systems for any desired interaction pattern and topology, how to perform arbitrary logical measurements, and how to obtain full control over single logical systems using only the intrinsic two-body interactions and control of individual physical qubits. This leads to a universal quantum simulator based on logical systems. We discuss the advantages of such a logical quantum simulator over standard ones, including the possibility to reach target topologies that are only accessible with large overheads otherwise. We provide several examples of how to obtain different target interaction patterns and topologies from initial long-ranged or short-ranged qubit-qubit interactions with a specific distance dependence.
A logical qubit is a two-dimensional subspace of a higher dimensional system, chosen such that it is possible to detect and correct the occurrence of certain errors. Manipulation of the encoded information generally requires arbitrary and precise control over the entire system. Whether based on multiple physical qubits or larger dimensional modes such as oscillators, the individual elements in realistic devices will always have residual interactions, which must be accounted for when designing logical operations. Here we demonstrate a holistic control strategy which exploits accurate knowledge of the Hamiltonian to manipulate a coupled oscillator-transmon system. We use this approach to realize high-fidelity (98.5%, inferred), decoherence-limited operations on a logical qubit encoded in a superconducting cavity resonator using four-component cat states. Our results show the power of applying numerical techniques to control linear oscillators and pave the way for utilizing their large Hilbert space as a resource in quantum information processing.A logical qubit is a two-dimensional subspace of a higher dimensional system, whose manipulation requires precise control over the whole system. Here the authors demonstrate a control strategy which exploits precise knowledge of the Hamiltonian to manipulate a coupled oscillator-transmon system.