We show that if one can perform a restricted set of fast manipulations on a quantum system, one can implement a large class of dynamical evolutions by effectively removing or introducing selected Hamiltonians. The procedure can be used to achieve universal noise-tolerant control based on purely unitary open-loop transformations of the dynamics. As a result, it is in principle possible to perform noise-protected universal quantum computation using no extra space resources.
We show that if one can perform a restricted set of fast manipulations on a quantum system, one can implement a large class of dynamical evolutions by effectively removing or introducing selected Hamiltonians. The procedure can be used to achieve universal noise-tolerant control based on purely unitary open-loop transformations of the dynamics. As a result, it is in principle possible to perform noise-protected universal quantum computation using no extra space resources.
We combine dynamical decoupling and universal control methods for open quantum systems with coding procedures. By exploiting a general algebraic approach, we show how appropriate encodings of quantum states result in obtaining universal control over dynamically generated noise-protected subsystems with limited control resources. In particular, we provide a constructive scheme based on two-body Hamiltonians for performing universal quantum computation over large noiseless spaces which can be engineered in the presence of arbitrary linear quantum noise.
Known as decoherence, the unavoidable interaction of a quantum system with its surrounding environment is usually considered to be detrimental for quantum information processing. In this thesis the coherent, open loop control of such open systems is studied. Concepts from quantum control theory and the theory of open quantum system are adopted in order to fight decoherence and implement quantum gates in a noiseless manner. In particular, Lie algebraic methods and numerical optimization tools are used to investigate the control properties of a single spin interacting with a spin environment. We show that, independent of the size of the environment, every unitary transformation can be implemented on the system spin through a single control field. We proceed by investigating dynamical decoupling, a method to suppress the interactions with the environment, for finite- and for in- finite dimensional systems. We prove that every finite dimensional system can be protected from decoherence, even if the environment is infinite dimensional, whereas for noise described by a Lindblad master equation dynamical decoupling will never succeed. This will lead to a new method to distinguish decoherence from intrinsic noise terms. We further prove that not every infinite dimensional system can be protected from decoherence through dynamical decoupling. Afterwards we investigate dynamical decoupling of systems that are described by quadratic Hamiltonians, showing that such interactions can always be suppressed with two simple operations. In the last part we investigate the coherent control of a Lindblad master equation. We show that a strong noise process exhibiting a decoherence free subspace can substantially increase the number of unitary operations that can be implemented, allowing us to fully control parts of the system. Afterwards we develop a scheme to make Hamiltonians and Lindbladians commutative by adding an auxiliary system. The old, possibly non-commutative dynamics, is recovered through a non-selective measurement.
Quantum computers now show the promise of surpassing any possible classical machine. However, errors limit this ability and current machines do not have the ability to implement error correcting codes due to the limited number of qubits and limited control. Therefore, dynamical decoupling (DD) and encodings that limit noise with fewer qubits are more promising. For these reasons, we put forth a model of universal quantum computation that has many advantages over strategies that require a large overhead such as the standard quantum-error correcting codes. First, we separate collective noise from individual noises on physical qubits and use a decoherence-free subspace that uses just two qubits for its encoding to eliminate collective noise. Second, our bath model is very general as it uses a spin-boson-type bath but without any Markovian assumption. Third, we are able to either use a steady global magnetic field or to devise a set of DD pulses that remove much of the remaining noise and commute with the logical operations on the encoded qubit. This allows removal of noise while implementing gate operations. Numerical support is given for this hybrid protection strategy which provides an efficient approach to deal with the decoherence problems in quantum computation and is experimentally viable for several current quantum computing systems. This is emphasized by a recent experiment on superconducting qubits which shows promise for increasing the number of gates that can be implemented reliably with some realistic parameter assumptions.
Synthesizing an effective identity evolution in a target system subjected to unwanted unitary or nonunitary dynamics is a fundamental task for both quantum control and quantum information processing applications. Here, we investigate how single-bit, discrete-time feedback capabilities may be exploited to enact or to enhance quantum procedures for effectively suppressing unwanted dynamics in a finite-dimensional open quantum system. An explicit characterization of the joint unitary propagators correctable by a single-bit feedback strategy for arbitrary evolution time is obtained. For a two-dimensional target system, we show how by appropriately combining quantum feedback with dynamical decoupling methods, concatenated feedback-decoupling schemes may be built, which can operate under relaxed control assumptions and can outperform purely closed-loop and open-loop protocols.
Abstract A protocol for implementing a universal set of quantum gates, which are safeguarded from noise through geometric, dephasing‐free, and dynamical‐decoupling approaches is proposed. With properly designed Hamiltonians, the desired interactions are realized directly within the Schrödinger picture rather than relying on the interaction picture. This design confers two advantages. One is that the system's evolution remains continuously protected by the noise‐mitigation strategies at every stage, eliminating the need to revert to the Schrödinger picture. The other one is that the dynamical decoupling technique effectively averages out small residual free terms in the system's Hamiltonian, thus reducing the stringent requirements for precise control of system parameters to avoid errors. Furthermore, numerical results are presented to support our protocol by finding gate fidelities in the absence (presence) of noises or errors, without or with dynamical decoupling technique.
A quantum computer is similar to an ordinary computer, except that instead of bits it uses two-level quantum systems (qubits), and the usual logical operations on bits are replaced with noiseless quantum dynamics in the form of unitary gates or Hamiltonian interactions. Many sets of resources that are universal for quantum computation (that is, capable of implementing any quantum computation) have been found, but general conditions for universality are still only partially understood. Improving our understanding of these conditions contributes to two broad goals. On the one hand, understanding what class of physical systems is suitable for quantum computation allows us choose the systems that are most easily controlled or built in the laboratory. On the other hand, identifying the unifying characteristics of such a class provides insight into the fundamental physics responsible for the much greater computational power of quantum computers. The original results presented in this thesis are a contribution to our understanding of the physical requirements for universal quantum computation. These results lead to the identification of a new, large class of universal dynamics. More specifically, the main problem that is addressed is the following: consider a physical system that is made up of a finite number of qubits that are subject to a natural, fixed interaction described by a two-body Hamiltonian. Suppose we have the ability to control the system only by applying fast one-qubit operations. Under what conditions is this system capable of universal quantum computation? The first original result of the thesis is to prove that universal quantum computation is possible under these conditions given the single extra constraint that the Hamiltonian must entangle, or connect, all of the qubits. In other words, since a two-body Hamiltonian is expressible as a sum of coupling terms each of which acts nontrivially on a pair of qubits, consider the graph whose vertices correspond to qubits and whose edges connect qubits that are coupled by a term in the Hamiltonian. Then this Hamiltonian, together with fast one-qubit unitaries, is universal for quantum computation precisely when the corresponding graph is connected. This result suggests many potential generalizations, three of which are explored in this thesis. The first generalization is to show that the same result holds for a two-body Hamiltonian that acts on D-dimensional quantum systems (qudits), given fast one-qudit unitaries. A second extension is to the case of a many-body Hamiltonian, that is, a Hamiltonian that has coupling terms that act on more than two qubits. Again, we find that under mild restrictions, such Hamiltonians are universal provided they are connected and that arbitrary one-qubit unitaries are available. We also discover and explore some surprising structure in many-body Hamiltonians that is associated with the parity of the couplings. A third related problem that is addressed is the question of what two-qubit unitaries are universal for quantum computation. This problem was originally solved by J.-L. and R. Brylinski [BB02], who gave a technical proof of the universality of any two-qudit gate that is not the swap gate or a product of one-qudit unitaries, given one-qudit unitaries as a free resource. We develop an elementary and constructive proof for the case of qubits, and prove that our construction is very close to optimal in the number of uses of the two-qubit gate. Given a qualitative understanding of what dynamical resources are universal for quantum computation, it is natural to consider developing a quantitative measure of the usefulness of quantum dynamics for quantum information processing. This is done in the final chapter of the thesis, in which the beginnings of a quantitative theory of quantum dynamics are developed.