Grover's quantum search algorithm provides a way to speed up combinatorial search, but is not directly applicable to searching a physical database. Nevertheless, Aaronson and Ambainis showed that a database of N items laid out in d spatial dimensions can be searched in time of order sqrt(N) for d>2, and in time of order sqrt(N) poly(log N) for d=2. We consider an alternative search algorithm based on a continuous time quantum walk on a graph. The case of the complete graph gives the continuous time search algorithm of Farhi and Gutmann, and other previously known results can be used to show that sqrt(N) speedup can also be achieved on the hypercube. We show that full sqrt(N) speedup can be achieved on a d-dimensional periodic lattice for d>4. In d=4, the quantum walk search algorithm takes time of order sqrt(N) poly(log N), and in d<4, the algorithm does not provide substantial speedup.
We present several families of graphs that allow both efficient quantum walk implementations and efficient quantum walk based search algorithms. For these graphs, we construct quantum circuits that explicitly implement the full quantum walk search algorithm, without reference to a `black box' oracle. These circuits provide a practically implementable method to explore quantum walk based search algorithms with the aim of eventual real-world applications. We also provide a numerical analysis of a quantum walk based search along a twisted toroid family of graphs, which requires O($\sqrt{n}$ log($…
In this paper, we show reduction methods for search algorithms on graphs using quantum walks. By using a graph partitioning method called equitable partition for the the given graph, we determine "effective subspace" for the search algorithm to reduce the size of the problem. We introduce the equitable partition for quantum walk based search algorithms and show how to determine "effective subspace" and reduced operator.
We identify a key difference between quantum search by discrete- and continuous-time quantum walks: a discrete-time walk typically performs one walk step per oracle query, whereas a continuous-time walk can effectively perform multiple walk steps per query while only counting query time. As a result, we show that continuous-time quantum walks can outperform their discrete-time counterparts, even though both achieve quadratic speedups over their corresponding classical random walks. To provide greater equity, we allow the discrete-time quantum walk to also take multiple walk steps per oracle qu…
We show how a quantum walk can be used to find a marked edge or a marked complete subgraph of a complete graph. We employ a version of a quantum walk, the scattering walk, which lends itself to experimental implementation. The edges are marked by adding elements to them that impart a specific phase shift to the particle as it enters or leaves the edge. If the complete graph has N vertices and the subgraph has K vertices, the particle becomes localized on the subgraph in O(N/K) steps. This leads to a quantum search that is quadratically faster than a corresponding classical search. We show how …
In this paper, we consider a continuous-time quantum walk based search algorithm. We introduce equitable partition of the graph and perfect state transfer on it. By these two methods, we can calculate the success probability and the finding time of the search algorithm. In addition, we gave some examples of graphs that we can calculate the success probability and the finding time.
We mainly study exceptional configuration for coined quantum walk search. For searching on a two-dimensional grid by AKR algorithm, we find some new classes of exceptional configurations that cannot be found by the AKR algorithm effectively and the known diagonal configuration can be regarded as its special case. Meanwhile, we give two modified quantum walk models that can improve the success probability in the exceptional configurations by numerical simulation. Furthermore, we introduce the concept of generalized exceptional configuration and consider search by quantum walk on a cycle with Gr…
In typical discrete-time quantum walk algorithms, one measures the position of the walker while ignoring its internal spin/coin state. Rather than neglecting the information in this internal state, we show that additionally measuring it doubles the success probability of many quantum spatial search algorithms. For example, this allows Grover's unstructured search problem to be solved with certainty, rather than with probability 1/2 if only the walker's position is measured, so the additional measurement yields a search algorithm that is twice as fast as without it, on average. Thus the interna…
This paper examines the stability of the quantum random walk search algorithm, when the walk coin is constructed by generalized Householder reflection and additional phase shift, against inaccuracies in the phases used to construct the coin. The optimization of the algorithm is done by numerical methods - Monte Carlo, neural networks, and supervised machine learning. The results of numerical simulations show that, with such a construction of the Householder reflection, the algorithm is more stable to inaccuracies in the specific values of these phases, as long as it is possible to control the …
Perfect state transfer between two marked vertices of a graph by means of discrete-time quantum walk is analyzed. We consider the quantum walk search algorithm with two marked vertices, sender and receiver. It is shown by explicit calculation that for the coined quantum walks on star graph and complete graph with self-loops perfect state transfer between the sender and receiver vertex is achieved for arbitrary number of vertices $N$ in $O(\sqrt{N})$ steps of the walk. Finally, we show that Szegedy's walk with queries on complete graph allows for state transfer with unit fidelity in the limit o…
In the typical spatial search problems solved by continuous-time quantum walk, changing the location of the marked vertices does not alter the search problem. In this paper, we consider search when this is no longer true. In particular, we analytically solve search on the "simplex of $K_M$ complete graphs" with all configurations of two marked vertices, two configurations of $M+1$ marked vertices, and two configurations of $2(M+1)$ marked vertices, showing that the location of the marked vertices can dramatically influence the required jumping rate of the quantum walk, such that using the wron…
There has been a very large body of research on searching a marked vertex on a graph based on quantum walks, and Grover's algorithm can be regarded as a quantum walk-based search algorithm on a special graph. However, the existing quantum walk-based search algorithms suffer severely from the soufflé problem which mainly means that the success probability of finding a marked vertex could shrink dramatically even to zero when the number of search steps is greater than the right one, thus heavily reducing the robustness and practicability of the algorithm. Surprisingly, while the soufflé problem …
An ideal quantum walk transitions from one vertex to another with perfect fidelity, but in physical systems, the particle may be hindered by potential energy barriers. Then the particle has some amplitude of tunneling through the barriers, and some amplitude of staying put. We investigate the algorithmic consequence of such barriers for the quantum walk formulation of Grover's algorithm. We prove that the failure amplitude must scale as $O(1/\sqrt{N})$ for search to retain its quantum $O(\sqrt{N})$ runtime; otherwise, it searches in classical $O(N)$ time. Thus searching larger "databases" requ…
Continuous-time quantum walks are natural tools for spatial search, where one searches for a marked vertex in a graph. Sometimes, the structure of the graph causes the walker to get trapped, such that the probability of finding the marked vertex is limited. We give an example with two linked cliques, proving that the captive probability can be liberated by increasing the weights of the links. This allows the search to succeed with probability 1 without increasing the energy scaling of the algorithm. Further increasing the weights, however, slows the runtime, so the optimal search requires weig…
Lackadaisical quantum walk(LQW) has been an efficient technique in searching a target state from a database which is distributed on a two-dimensional lattice. We numerically study the quantum search algorithm based on the lackadaisical quantum walk on one- and two-dimensions. It is observed that specific values of the self-loop weight at each vertex of the graph is responsible for such speedup of the algorithm. Searching for a target state on one-dimensional lattice with periodic boundary conditions is possible using lackadaisical quantum walk, which can find a target state with $\mathcal{O}(1…
We study the discrete-time quantum walk-based search for a marked vertex on a graph. By considering various structures in which not all vertices are equivalent, we investigate the relationship between the successful search probability and the position of the marked vertex, in particular its centrality. We find that the maximum value of the search probability does not necessarily increase as the marked vertex becomes more central and we investigate an interesting relationship between the frequency of the successful search probability and the centrality of the marked vertex.
The defining feature of memoryless quantum walks is that they operate on the vertex space of a graph, and therefore can be used to produce search algorithms with minimal memory. We present a memoryless walk that can find a unique marked vertex on a two-dimensional grid. Our walk is based on the construction proposed by Falk, which tessellates the grid with squares of size $2 \times 2$. Our walk uses minimal memory, $O(\sqrt{N \log N})$ applications of the walk operator, and outputs the marked vertex with vanishing error probability. To accomplish this, we apply a selfloop to the marked vertex …
Quantum walks are standard tools for searching graphs for marked vertices, and they often yield quadratic speedups over a classical random walk's hitting time. In some exceptional cases, however, the system only evolves by sign flips, staying in a uniform probability distribution for all time. We prove that the one-dimensional periodic lattice or cycle with any arrangement of marked vertices is such an exceptional configuration. Using this discovery, we construct a search problem where the quantum walk's random sampling yields an arbitrary speedup in query complexity over the classical random …
Quantum walks have been very successful in the development of search algorithms in quantum information, in particular in the development of spatial search algorithms. However, the construction of continuous-time quantum search algorithms in two-dimensional lattices has proved difficult, requiring additional degrees of freedom. Here, we demonstrate that continuous-time quantum walk search is possible in two-dimensions by changing the search topology to a graphene lattice, utilising the Dirac point in the energy spectrum. This is made possible by making a change to standard methods of marking a …
A randomly walking quantum particle searches in Grover's $Θ(\sqrt{N})$ iterations for a marked vertex on the complete graph of $N$ vertices by repeatedly querying an oracle that flips the amplitude at the marked vertex, scattering by a "coin" flip, and hopping. Physically, however, potential energy barriers can hinder the hop and cause the search to fail, even when the amplitude of not hopping decreases with $N$. We correct for these errors by interpreting the quantum walk search as an amplitude amplification algorithm and modifying the phases applied by the coin flip and oracle such that the …
A randomly walking quantum particle evolving by Schrödinger's equation searches for a unique marked vertex on the "simplex of complete graphs" in time $Θ(N^{3/4})$. In this paper, we give a weighted version of this graph that preserves vertex-transitivity, and we show that the time to search on it can be reduced to nearly $Θ(\sqrt{N})$. To prove this, we introduce two novel extensions to degenerate perturbation theory: an adjustment that distinguishes the weights of the edges, and a method to determine how precisely the jumping rate of the quantum walk must be chosen.
In a recent work by Novo et al. (Sci. Rep. 5, 13304, 2015), the invariant subspace method was applied to the study of continuous-time quantum walk (CTQW). The method helps to reduce a graph into a simpler version that allows more transparent analyses of the quantum walk model. In this work, we adopt the aforementioned method to investigate the optimality of a quantum walk search of a marked element on a complete multi-partite graph. We formulate the eigenbasis that would facilitate the transport between the two lowest energy eigenstates and demonstrate how to set the appropriate coupling facto…
The task of finding an entry in an unsorted list of $N$ elements famously takes $O(N)$ queries to an oracle for a classical computer and $O(\sqrt{N})$ queries for a quantum computer using Grover's algorithm. Reformulated as a spatial search problem, this corresponds to searching the complete graph, or all-to-all network, for a marked vertex by querying an oracle. In this tutorial, we derive how discrete- and continuous-time (classical) random walks and quantum walks solve this problem in a thorough and pedagogical manner, providing an accessible introduction to how random and quantum walks can…
Quantum walks have been useful for designing quantum algorithms that outperform their classical versions for a variety of search problems. Most of the papers, however, consider a search space containing a single marked element only. We show that if the search space contains more than one marked element, their placement may drastically affect the performance of the search. More specifically, we study search by quantum walks on general graphs and show a wide class of configurations of marked vertices, for which search by quantum walk needs $Ω(N)$ steps, that is, it has no speed-up over the class…
This paper examines the performance of spatial search where the Grover diffusion operator is replaced by continuous-time quantum walks on a class of interdependent networks. We prove that for a set of optimal quantum walk times and marked vertex phase shifts, a deterministic algorithm for structured spatial search is established that finds the marked vertex with 100% probability. This improves on the original spatial search algorithm on the same class of graphs, which we show can only amplify to 50% probability. Our method uses $\left\lceil\fracπ{2\sqrt{2}}\sqrt{N}\right\rceil$ marked vertex p…
When classically searching a database, having additional correct answers makes the search easier. For a discrete-time quantum walk searching a graph for a marked vertex, however, additional marked vertices can make the search harder by causing the system to approximately begin in a stationary state, so the system fails to evolve. In this paper, we completely characterize the stationary states, or 1-eigenvectors, of the quantum walk search operator for general graphs and configurations of marked vertices by decomposing their amplitudes into uniform and flip states. This infinitely expands the n…
In the typical model, a discrete-time coined quantum walk searching the 2D grid for a marked vertex achieves a success probability of $O(1/\log N)$ in $O(\sqrt{N \log N})$ steps, which with amplitude amplification yields an overall runtime of $O(\sqrt{N} \log N)$. We show that making the quantum walk lackadaisical or lazy by adding a self-loop of weight $4/N$ to each vertex speeds up the search, causing the success probability to reach a constant near $1$ in $O(\sqrt{N \log N})$ steps, thus yielding an $O(\sqrt{\log N})$ improvement over the typical, loopless algorithm. This improved runtime m…
We present a novel scheme to generate entanglement between two spatially separated systems. The scheme makes use of spatial entanglement generated by a single-particle quantum walk which is used to entangle two spatially separated, not necessarily correlated, systems. This scheme can be used to entangle any two systems which can interact with the spatial modes entangled during the quantum walk evolution. A notable feature is that we can control the quantum walk dynamics and its ability to localize leads to a substantial control and improvement in the entanglement output.
A quantum particle evolving by Schrödinger's equation contains, from the kinetic energy of the particle, a term in its Hamiltonian proportional to Laplace's operator. In discrete space, this is replaced by the discrete or graph Laplacian, which gives rise to a continuous-time quantum walk. Besides this natural definition, some quantum walk algorithms instead use the adjacency matrix to effect the walk. While this is equivalent to the Laplacian for regular graphs, it is different for non-regular graphs, and is thus an inequivalent quantum walk. We algorithmically explore this distinction by ana…
The evolution of a many-particle system on a one-dimensional lattice, subjected to a quantum walk can cause spatial entanglement in the lattice position, which can be exploited for quantum information/communication purposes. We demonstrate the evolution of spatial entanglement and its dependence on the quantum coin operation parameters, the number of particles present in the lattice and the number of steps of quantum walk on the system. Thus, spatial entanglement can be controlled and optimized using a many-particle discrete-time quantum walk.
We investigate a quantum spatial search problem on a fractal lattice. A recent study for the Sierpinski gasket and tetrahedron made a conjecture that the dynamics of the search on a fractal lattice is determined by spectral dimension. We tackle this problem for the Sierpinski carpet, and our simulation result supports the conjecture. We also propose a scaling hypothesis of oracle calls for the quantum amplitude amplification.
The lazy random walk, where the walker has some probability of staying put, is a useful tool in classical algorithms. We propose a quantum analogue, the lackadaisical quantum walk, where each vertex is given $l$ self-loops, and we investigate its effects on Grover's algorithm when formulated as search for a marked vertex on the complete graph of $N$ vertices. For the discrete-time quantum walk using the phase flip coin, adding a self-loop to each vertex boosts the success probability from 1/2 to 1. Additional self-loops, however, decrease the success probability. Using instead the Ambainis, Ke…
We consider the problem of searching a general $d$-dimensional lattice of $N$ vertices for a single marked item using a continuous-time quantum walk. We demand locality, but allow the walk to vary periodically on a small scale. By constructing lattice Hamiltonians exhibiting Dirac points in their dispersion relations and exploiting the linear behaviour near a Dirac point, we develop algorithms that solve the problem in a time of $O(\sqrt N)$ for $d>2$ and $O(\sqrt N \log N)$ in $d=2$. In particular, we show that such algorithms exist even for hypercubic lattices in any dimension. Unlike previo…
This paper researches how the systematic errors in phase inversions affect the success rate and the number of iterations in optimized quantum random-walk search algorithm. Through geometric description of this algorithm, the model of the algorithm with phase errors is established and the relationship between the success rate of the algorithm, the database size, the number of iterations and the phase error is depicted. For a given sized database, we give both the maximum success rate of the algorithm and the required number of iterations when the algorithm is in the presence of phase errors. Th…
We analyze the realization of a quantum-walk search algorithm in a passive, linear optical network. The specific model enables us to consider the effect of realistic sources of noise and losses on the search efficiency. Photon loss uniform in all directions is shown to lead to the rescaling of search time. Deviation from directional uniformity leads to the enhancement of the search efficiency compared to uniform loss with the same average. In certain cases even increasing loss in some of the directions can improve search efficiency. We show that while we approach the classical limit of the gen…
We study continuous-time quantum walks mimicking the quantum search based on Grover's procedure. This allows us to consider structures, that is, databases, with arbitrary topological arrangements of their entries. We show that the topological structure of the database plays a crucial role by analyzing, both analytically and numerically, the transition from the ground to the first excited state of the Hamiltonian associated with different (fractal) structures. Additionally, we use the probability of successfully finding a specific target as another indicator of the importance of the topological…
The spatial search problem on regular lattice structures in integer number of dimensions $d\geq2$ has been studied extensively, using both coined and coinless quantum walks. The relativistic Dirac operator has been a crucial ingredient in these studies. Here we investigate the spatial search problem on fractals of non-integer dimensions. Although the Dirac operator cannot be defined on a fractal, we construct the quantum walk on a fractal using the flip-flop operator that incorporates a Klein-Gordon mode. We find that the scaling behavior of the spatial search is determined by the spectral (an…
The lackadaisical quantum walk is a lazy version of a discrete-time, coined quantum walk, where each vertex has a weighted self-loop that permits the walker to stay put. They have been used to speed up spatial search on a variety of graphs, including periodic lattices, strongly regular graphs, Johnson graphs, and the hypercube. In these prior works, the weights of the self-loops preserved the symmetries of the graphs. In this paper, we show that the self-loops can break all the symmetries of vertex-transitive graphs while providing the same computational speedups. Only the weight of the self-l…
The lackadaisical quantum walk is a discrete-time, coined quantum walk on a graph with a weighted self-loop at each vertex. It uses a generalized Grover coin and the flip-flop shift, which makes it equivalent to Szegedy's quantum Markov chain. It has been shown that a lackadaisical quantum walk can improve spatial search on the complete graph, discrete torus, cycle, and regular complete bipartite graph. In this paper, we observe that these are all vertex-transitive graphs, and when there is a unique marked vertex, the optimal weight of the self-loop equals the degree of the loopless graph divi…
We analyze the long time behavior of a discrete time quantum walk subject to decoherence with a strong spatial dependence, acting on one half of the lattice. We show that, except for limiting cases on the decoherence parameter, the quantum walk at late times behaves sub-ballistically, meaning that the characteristic features of the quantum walk are not completely spoiled. Contrarily to expectations, the asymptotic behavior is non Markovian, and depends on the amount of decoherence. This feature can be clearly shown on the long time value of the Generalized Chiral Distribution (GCD).
When searching for a marked vertex in a graph, Szegedy's usual search operator is defined by using the transition probability matrix of the random walk with absorbing barriers at the marked vertices. Instead of using this operator, we analyze searching with Szegedy's quantum walk by using reflections around the marked vertices, that is, the standard form of quantum query. We show we can boost the probability to 1 of finding a marked vertex in the complete graph. Numerical simulations suggests that the success probability can be improved for other graphs, like the two-dimensional grid. We also …
Nature of quantum walk in presence of multiple marked state has been studied by Nahimovs and Rivosh \cite{10.1007/978-3-662-49192-8_31}. They have shown that if the marked states are arranged in a $\sqrt{k} \times \sqrt{k}$ cluster in a $\sqrt{N} \times \sqrt{N}$ grid, then to find a single marked state among the multiple ones, quantum walk requires $Ω(\sqrt{N} - \sqrt{k})$ time. In this paper, we show that using lackadaisical quantum walk with the weight of the self-loop as $\frac{4}{N(k + \lfloor{\frac{\sqrt{k}}{2}}\rfloor)}$, where $k$ is odd, the probability of finding a marked state incre…
Quantum spatial search has been widely studied with most of the study focusing on quantum walk algorithms. We show that quantum walk algorithms are extremely sensitive to systematic errors. We present a recursive algorithm which offers significant robustness to certain systematic errors. To search N items, our recursive algorithm can tolerate errors of size O(1/\sqrt{\ln N}) which is exponentially better than quantum walk algorithms for which tolerable error size is only O(\ln N/\sqrt{N}). Also, our algorithm does not need any ancilla qubit. Thus our algorithm is much easier to implement exper…
We present a novel methodological framework for quantum spatial search, generalising the Childs & Goldstone ($\mathcal{CG}$) algorithm via alternating applications of marked-vertex phase shifts and continuous-time quantum walks. We determine closed form expressions for the optimal walk time and phase shift parameters for periodic graphs. These parameters are chosen to rotate the system about subsets of the graph Laplacian eigenstates, amplifying the probability of measuring the marked vertex. The state evolution is asymptotically optimal for any class of periodic graphs having a fixed number o…
In network science, graphs obtained by taking the Kronecker or tensor power of the adjacency matrix of an initiator graph are used to construct complex networks. In this paper, we analytically prove sufficient conditions under which such Kronecker graphs can be searched by a continuous-time quantum walk in optimal $Θ(\sqrt{N})$ time. First, if the initiator is regular and its adjacency matrix has a dominant principal eigenvalue, meaning its unique largest eigenvalue asymptotically dominates the other eigenvalues in magnitude, then the Kronecker graphs generated by this initiator can be quantum…
We consider the problem of finding a desired item out of $N$ items arranged on the sites of a two-dimensional lattice of size $\sqrt{N} \times \sqrt{N}$. The previous quantum walk based algorithms take $O(\sqrt{N}\log N)$ steps to solve this problem, and it is an open question whether the performance can be improved. We present a new algorithm which solves the problem in $O(\sqrt{N\log N})$ steps, thus giving an $O(\sqrt{\log N})$ improvement over the known algorithms. The improvement is achieved by controlling the quantum walk on the lattice using an ancilla qubit.
Adding self-loops at each vertex of a graph improves the performance of quantum walks algorithms over loopless algorithms. Many works approach quantum walks to search for a single marked vertex. In this article, we experimentally address several problems related to quantum walk in the hypercube with self-loops to search for multiple marked vertices. We first investigate the quantum walk in the loopless hypercube. We saw that neighbor vertices are also amplified and that approximately $1/2$ of the system energy is concentrated in them. We show that the optimal value of $l$ for a single marked v…
The concept of lackadaisical quantum walk -- quantum walk with self loops -- was first introduced for discrete-time quantum walk on one-dimensional line. Later it was successfully applied to improve the running time of the spacial search on two-dimensional grid. In this paper we study search by lackadaisical quantum walk on the two-dimensional grid with multiple marked vertices. First, we show that the lackadaisical quantum walk, similarly to the regular (non-lackadaisical) quantum walk, has exceptional configuration, i.e. placements of marked vertices for which the walk has no speed-up over t…
Shenvi, Kempe and Whaley's quantum random-walk search (SKW) algorithm [Phys. Rev. A 67, 052307 (2003)] is known to require $O(\sqrt N)$ number of oracle queries to find the marked element, where $N$ is the size of the search space. The overall time complexity of the SKW algorithm differs from the best achievable on a quantum computer only by a constant factor. We present improvements to the SKW algorithm which yield significant increase in success probability, and an improvement on query complexity such that the theoretical limit of a search algorithm succeeding with probability close to one i…
We consider the problem of finding a marked vertex in a graph from an arbitrary starting distribution, using a quantum walk based algorithm. We work in the framework introduced by Belovs which showed how to detect the existence of a marked vertex in $O(\sqrt{RW})$ quantum walk steps, where $R$ is the effective resistance and $W$ is the total weight of the graph. Our algorithm outputs a marked vertex in the same runtime up to a logarithmic factor in the number of marked vertices. When starting in the stationary distribution, this recovers the recent results of Ambainis et al. We also describe a…
This comment is to correct the proof of optimality of quantum spatial search for Erdős-Rényi graphs presented in `Spatial Search by Quantum Walk is Optimal for Almost all Graphs' (https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.100501). The authors claim that if $p\geq \frac{\log^{3/2}(n)}{n}$, then the CTQW-based search is optimal for almost all graphs. Below we point the issues found in the main paper, and propose corrections, which in fact improve the result to $p=ω(\log(n)/n)$ in case of transition rate $γ= 1/λ_1$. In the case of the proof for simplified transition rate $1/(np)$ we pointed a possi…
We address memory effects and diffusive properties of a continuous-time quantum walk on a one-dimensional percolation lattice affected by spatially correlated random telegraph noise. In particular, by introducing spatially correlated time-dependent fluctuations in nearest-neighbor hopping amplitudes, we describe random domains characterized by global noise. The resulting open dynamics of the walker is then unraveled by an ensemble average over all the noise realizations. Our results show that time-dependent noise assisted by spatial correlations leads to strong memory effects in the walker dyn…
