In this work we study several models of decoherence and how different quantum maps and algorithms react when perturbed by them. Following closely Ref. [1], generalizations of the three paradigmatic one single qubit quantum channels (these are the depolarizing channel, the phase damping channel and the amplitude damping channel) for the case of an arbitrarily-sized finite-dimensional Hilbert space are presented, as well as other types of noise in phase space. More specifically, Grover's search algorithm's response to decoherence is analyzed; together with those of a family of quantum versions of chaotic and regular classical maps (the baker's map and the cat maps). A relationship between how sensitive to decoherence a quantum map is and the degree of complexity in the dynamics of its associated classical counterpart is observed; resulting in a clear tendency to react the more decoherently the more complex the associated classical dynamics is.
We study the convex combinations of the $(d+1)$ generalized Pauli dynamical maps in a Hilbert space of dimension $d$. For certain choices of the decoherence function, the maps are noninvertible and they remain under convex combinations as well. For the case of dynamical maps characterized by the decoherence function $(1-e^{-ct})/n$ with the decoherence parameter $n$ and decay factor $c$, we evaluate the fraction of invertible maps obtained upon mixing, which is found to increase superexponentially with dimension $d$.
We study the behavior of an open quantum system, with an $N$--dimensional space of states, whose density matrix evolves according to a non--unitary map defined in two steps: A unitary step, where the system evolves with an evolution operator obtained by quantizing a classically chaotic map (baker's and Harper's map are the two examples we consider). A non--unitary step where the evolution operator for the density matrix mimics the effect of diffusion in the semiclassical (large $N$) limit. The process of decoherence and the transition from quantum to classical behavior are analyzed in detail b…
The Bolztmann echo (BE) is a measure of irreversibility and sensitivity to perturbations for non-isolated systems. Recently, different regimes of this quantity were described for chaotic systems. There is a perturbative regime where the BE decays with a rate given by the sum of a term depending on the accuracy with which the system is time-reversed and a term depending on the coupling between the system and the environment. In addition, a parameter independent regime, characterised by the classical Lyapunov exponent, is expected. In this paper we study the behaviour of the BE in hyperbolic map…
The possible effect of environment on the efficiency of a quantum algorithm is considered explicitely. It is illustrated through the example of Shor's prime factorization algorithm that this effect may be disastrous. The influence of environment on quantum computation is probed on the basis of its analogy to the problem of wave function collapse in quantum measurement.Techniques from the Hepp-Colemen approach and its generalization are used to deal with decoherence problems in quantum computation including dynamic mechanism of decoherence, quantum error avoiding tricks and calculation of decoh…
We investigate the dynamics of two quantum mechanical oscillator system-bath toy models obtained by truncating to zero spatial dimensions linearized gravity coupled to a massive scalar field and scalar QED. The scalar-gravity toy model maps onto the phase damped oscillator, while the scalar QED toy model approximately maps onto an oscillator system subject to two-photon damping. The toy models provide potentially useful insights into solving for open system quantum dynamics relevant to the full scalar QED and weak gravitational field systems, in particular operational probes of the decoherence…
The information in quantum computers is often stored in identical two-level systems (spins or pseudo-spins) that are separated by a distance shorter than the characteristic wavelength of a reservoir which is responsible for decoherence. In such a case, the collective spin-reservoir interaction, rather than an individual spin-reservoir interaction, may determine the decoherence characteristics. We use computational basis states, symmetrized spin states and spin coherent states to study collective decoherence in the implementation of various quantum algorithms. A simple method of implementing qu…
For a practical quantum computer to operate, it will be essential to properly manage decoherence. One important technique for doing this is the use of "decoherence-free subspaces" (DFSs), which have recently been demonstrated. Here we present the first use of DFSs to improve the performance of a quantum algorithm. An optical implementation of the Deutsch-Jozsa algorithm can be made insensitive to a particular class of phase noise by encoding information in the appropriate subspaces; we observe a reduction of the error rate from 35% to essentially its pre-noise value of 8%.
Using the methods of quantum trajectories we investigate the effects of dissipative decoherence in a quantum computer algorithm simulating dynamics in various regimes of quantum chaos including dynamical localization, quantum ergodic regime and quasi-integrable motion. As an example we use the quantum sawtooth algorithm which can be implemented in a polynomial number of quantum gates. It is shown that the fidelity of quantum computation decays exponentially with time and that the decay rate is proportional to the number of qubits, number of quantum gates and per gate dissipation rate induced b…
We experimentally perform the simulation of open quantum dynamics in single-qudit systems. Using a spatial light modulator as a dissipative optical device, we implement dissipative-dynamical maps onto qudits encoded in the transverse momentum of spontaneous parametric down-converted photon pairs. We show a well-controlled technique to prepare entangled qudits states as well as to implement dissipative local measurements; the latter realize two specific dynamics: dephasing and amplitude damping. Our work represents a new analogy-dynamical experiment for simulating an open quantum system.
We study the statistics of quantum interference for completely positive maps. We calculate analytically the mean interference and its second moment for finite dimensional quantum systems interacting with a simple environment consisting of one or several spins (qudits). The joint propagation of the entire system is taken as unitary with an evolution operator drawn from the Circular Unitary Ensemble (CUE). We show that the mean interference decays with a power law as function of the dimension of the Hilbert space of the environment, with a power that depends on the temperature of the environment…
The stabilizing properties of one-error correcting jump codes are explored under realistic non-ideal conditions. For this purpose the quantum algorithm of the tent-map is decomposed into a universal set of Hamiltonian quantum gates which ensure perfect correction of spontaneous decay processes under ideal circumstances even if they occur during a gate operation. An entanglement gate is presented which is capable of entangling any two logical qubits of different one-error correcting code spaces. With the help of this gate simultaneous spontaneous decay processes affecting physical qubits of dif…
We report on the effects of a simple decoherence model on the quantum search algorithm. Despite its simplicity, the decoherence model is an instructive model that can genuinely imitate realistic noisy environment in many situations. As one would expect, as the size of the database gets larger, the effects of decoherence on the efficiency of the quantum search algorithm cannot be ignored. Moreover, with decoherence, it may not be useful to iterate beyond the first maxima in the probability distribution of the search entry. Surprisingly, we also find that the number of iterations for maximum pro…
The hydrodynamic formulation of quantum mechanics is used to elucidate the mechanism for decoherence, the suppression of interference effects in a system evolving from an initial coherent superposition. Analysis of time-dependent trajectory ensembles, flux maps, and elements of the stress tensor for two composite systems, in one of which the system is uncoupled to the environment, leads to the decoherence mechanism. For the uncoupled case, the quantum force acting on the fluid elements directs flux toward an attractor where the interference feature arises. For the coupled case, the classical f…
The environment -- external or internal degrees of freedom coupled to the system -- can, in effect, monitor some of its observables. As a result, the eigenstates of these observables decohere and behave like classical states: Continuous destruction of superpositions leads to environment-induced superselection (einselection). Here I investigate it in the context of quantum chaos (i. e., quantum dynamics of systems which are classically chaotic).
We report the realization, using nuclear magnetic resonance techniques, of the first quantum computer that reliably executes an algorithm in the presence of strong decoherence. The computer is based on a quantum error avoidance code that protects against a class of multiple-qubit errors. The code stores two decoherence-free logical qubits in four noisy physical qubits. The computer successfully executes Grover's search algorithm in the presence of arbitrarily strong engineered decoherence. A control computer with no decoherence protection consistently fails under the same conditions.
We study effects of static inter-qubit interactions and random errors in quantum gates on the stability of various quantum algorithms including the Grover quantum search algorithm and the quantum chaos maps. For the Grover algorithm our numerical and analytical results show existence of regular and chaotic phases depending on the static imperfection strength $ε$. The critical border $ε_c$ between two phases drops polynomially with the number of qubits $n_q$ as $ε_c \sim n_q^{-3/2}$. In the regular phase $(ε< ε_c)$ the algorithm remains robust against imperfections showing the efficiency gain $…
We investigate the problem of reversing quantum dynamics, specifically via optimal Petz recovery maps. We focus on typical decoherence channels, such as dephasing, depolarizing and amplitude damping. We illustrate how well a physically implementable recovery map simulates an inverse evolution. We extend this idea to explore the use of recovery maps as an approximation of inverse maps, and apply it in the context of non-Markovian dynamics. We show how this strategy attenuates non-Markovian effects, such as the backflow of information.
In this work, inspired by the study of semidefinite programming for block-diagonalizing matrix *-algebras, we propose an algorithm that can find the algebraic structure of decoherence-free subspaces (DFS's) for a given noisy quantum channel. We prove that this algorithm will work for all cases with probability one, and it is more efficient than the algorithm proposed by Holbrook, Kribs, and Laflamme [Quant. Inf. Proc. 80, 381 (2003)]. In fact, our results reveal that this previous algorithm only works for special cases. As an application, we discuss how this method can be applied to increase t…
The search operation for a marked state by means of Grover's quantum searching algorithm is shown to be an element of group SU(2) which acts on a 2-dimensional space spanned by the marked state and the unmarked collective state. Based on this underlying structure, those exact bounds of the steps in various quantum search algorithms are obtained in a quite concise way. This reformulation of the quantum searching algorithm also enables a detailed analysis of the decoherence effects caused by its coupling with an environment. It turns out that the environment will not only make the quantum search…
Motivated by the similarity between adiabatic quantum algorithms and quantum phase transitions, we study the impact of decoherence on the sweep through a second-order quantum phase transition for the prototypical example of the Ising chain in a transverse field and compare it to the adiabatic version of Grovers search algorithm, which displays a first order quantum phase transition. For site-independent and site-dependent coupling strengths as well as different operator couplings, the results show that (in contrast to first-order transitions) the impact of decoherence caused by a weak coupling…
Computer simulations of decoherence in quantum spin systems require the solution of the time-dependent Schrodinger equation for interacting quantum spin systems over extended periods of time. We use exact diagonalization, Chebyshev polynomial technique, four Suzuki-formula algorithms, and the short-iterative-Lanczos method to solve a simple model for decoherence of a quantum spin system by an environment consisting of quantum spins, and compare advantages and limitations of different algorithms.
We present an introduction to coined quantum walks on regular graphs, which have been developed in the past few years as an alternative to quantum Fourier transforms for underpinning algorithms for quantum computation. We then describe our results on the effects of decoherence on these quantum walks on a line, cycle and hypercube. We find high sensitivity to decoherence, increasing with the number of steps in the walk, as the particle is becoming more delocalised with each step. However, the effect of a small amount of decoherence can be to enhance the properties of the quantum walk that are d…
We consider an adiabatic quantum algorithm (Grover's search routine) weakly coupled to a rather general environment, i.e., without using the Markov approximation. Markovian errors generally require high-energy excitations (of the reservoir) and tend to destroy the scalability of the adiabatic quantum algorithm. We find that, under appropriate conditions (such as low temperatures), the low-energy (i.e., non-Markovian) modes of the bath are most important. Hence the scalability of the adiabatic quantum algorithm depends on the infra-red behavior of the environment: a reasonably small coupling to…
Decoherence induced by coupling a system with an environment may display universal features. Here we demostrate that when the coupling to the system drives a quantum phase transition in the environment, the temporal decay of quantum coherences in the system is Gaussian with a width independent of the system-environment coupling strength. The existence of this effect opens the way for a new type of quantum simulation algorithm, where a single qubit is used to detect a quantum phase transition. We discuss possible implementations of such algorithm and we relate our results to available data on u…
Computational advantages gained by quantum algorithms rely largely on the coherence of quantum devices and are generally compromised by decoherence. As an exception, we present a quantum algorithm for graph isomorphism testing whose performance is optimal when operating in the partially coherent regime, as opposed to the extremes of fully coherent or classical regimes. The algorithm builds on continuous-time quantum stochastic walks (QSWs) on graphs and the algorithmic performance is quantified by the distinguishing power (DIP) between non-isomorphic graphs. The QSW explores the entire graph a…
Quantum Fourier transform is of primary importance in many quantum algorithms. In order to eliminate the destructive effects of decoherence induced by couplings between the quantum system and its environment, we propose a robust scheme for quantum Fourier transform over the intrinsic decoherence-free subspaces. The scheme is then applied to the circuit design of quantum Fourier transform over quantum networks under collective decoherence. The encoding efficiency and possible improvements are also discussed.
These lecture notes address an audience of physicists or mathematicians who have been exposed to a first course in quantum mechanics. We start with a brief discussion of the general "system-bath" paradigm of quantum dissipative systems, analyze in some detail the simplest example of "pure dephasing" of a two-level system, and review the basic concept of the density matrix. We then treat the general dissipative time-evolution, introducing completely positive maps, their relation to entanglement theory, and their Kraus decomposition. Restricting ourselves to Markovian evolution, we discuss the L…
By using transitionless quantum driving algorithm (TQDA), we present an efficient scheme for the shortcuts to the holonomic quantum computation (HQC). It works in decoherence-free subspace (DFS) and the adiabatic process can be speeded up in the shortest possible time. More interestingly, we give a physical implementation for our shortcuts to HQC with nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamonds dispersively coupled to a whispering-gallery mode microsphere cavity. It can be efficiently realized by controlling appropriately the frequencies of the external laser pulses. Also, our scheme has good scalabi…
The development of quantum walks in the context of quantum computation, as generalisations of random walk techniques, led rapidly to several new quantum algorithms. These all follow unitary quantum evolution, apart from the final measurement. Since logical qubits in a quantum computer must be protected from decoherence by error correction, there is no need to consider decoherence at the level of algorithms. Nonetheless, enlarging the range of quantum dynamics to include non-unitary evolution provides a wider range of possibilities for tuning the properties of quantum walks. For example, small …
In a quantum computer any superposition of inputs evolves unitarily into the corresponding superposition of outputs. It has been recently demonstrated that such computers can dramatically speed up the task of finding factors of large numbers -- a problem of great practical significance because of its cryptographic applications. Instead of the nearly exponential ($\sim \exp L^{1/3}$, for a number with $L$ digits) time required by the fastest classical algorithm, the quantum algorithm gives factors in a time polynomial in $L$ ($\sim L^2$). This enormous speed-up is possible in principle because …
Decoherence-free subsystems have been successfully developed as a tool to preserve fragile quantum information against noises. In this letter, we develop a structure theory for decoherence-free subsystems. Based on it, we present an effective algorithm to construct a set of maximal decoherence-free subsystems in the sense that any other such subsystem is a subspace of one of them. As an application of these techniques in quantum many body systems, we propose a simple and numerically robust method to determine if two irreducible tensors are repeated, a key step in deciding if they are equivalen…
Decoherence phenomenon has been widely studied in different types of quantum walks. In this work we show how to model decoherence inspired by percolation on staggered quantum walks. Two models of unitary noise are described: breaking polygons and breaking vertices. The evolution operators subject to these noises are obtained and the equivalence to the coined quantum walk model is presented. Further, we numerically analyze the effect of these decoherence models on the two-dimensional grid of $4$-cliques. We examine how these perturbations affect the quantum walk based search algorithm in this g…
Mixing and decoherence are both manifestations of classicality within quantum theory, each of which admit a very general category-theoretic construction. We show under which conditions these two 'roads to classicality' coincide. This is indeed the case for (finite-dimensional) quantum theory, where each construction yields the category of C*-algebras and completely positive maps. We present counterexamples where the property fails which includes relational and modal theories. Finally, we provide a new interpretation for our category-theoretic generalisation of decoherence in terms of 'leaking …
An examination of the concept of using classical degrees of freedom to drive the evolution of quantum computers is given. Specifically, when externally generated, coherent states of the electromagnetic field are used to drive transitions within the qubit system, a decoherence results due to the back reaction from the qubits onto the quantum field. We derive an expression for the decoherence rate for two cases, that of the single-qubit Walsh-Hadamard transform, and for an implementation of the controlled-NOT gate. We examine the impact of this decoherence mechanism on Grover's search algorithm,…
Recently several quantum search algorithms based on quantum walks were proposed. Those algorithms differ from Grover's algorithm in many aspects. The goal is to find a marked vertex in a graph faster than classical algorithms. Since the implementation of those new algorithms in quantum computers or in other quantum devices is error-prone, it is important to analyze their robustness under decoherence. In this work we analyze the impact of decoherence on quantum search algorithms implemented on two-dimensional grids and on hypercubes.
In this paper, we study decoherence on Grover's quantum searching algorithm using a perturbative method. We assume that each two-state system (qubit) suffers σ_{z} error with probability p (0\leq p\leq 1) independently at every step in the algorithm. Considering an n-qubit density operator to which Grover's operation is applied M times, we expand it in powers of 2Mnp and derive its matrix element order by order under the n\to \infty limit. (In this large n limit, we assume p is small enough, so that 2Mnp(\geq 0) can take any real positive value or 0.) This approach gives us an interpretation a…
Using the methods of quantum trajectories we study effects of dissipative decoherence on the accuracy of the Grover quantum search algorithm. The dependence on the number of qubits and dissipation rate are determined and tested numerically with up to 16 qubits. As a result, our numerical and analytical studies give the universal law for decay of fidelity and probability of searched state which are induced by dissipative decoherence effects. This law is in agreement with the results obtained previously for quantum chaos algorithms.
Holonomic quantum computation uses non-Abelian geometric phases to realize error resilient quantum gates. Nonadiabatic holonomic gates are particularly suitable to avoid unwanted decoherence effects, as they can be performed at high speed. By letting the computational system interact with a structured environment, we show that the scope of error resilience of nonadiabatic holonomic gates can be widened to include systematic parameter errors. Our scheme maintains the geometric properties of the evolution and results in an environment-assisted holonomic quantum map that can mimic the effect of a…
Recent advances in levitated optomechanics provide new perspectives for the use of rotational degrees of freedom for the development of quantum technologies as well as for testing fundamental physics. As for the translational case, their use, especially in the quantum regime, is limited by environmental noises, whose characterization is fundamental in order to assess, control and minimize their effect, in particular decoherence. Here, we present a general perturbative approach to compute decoherence for a quantum system in a superposition of its rotational degrees of freedom. The specific case…
Minimizing the effect of decoherence on a quantum register must be a central part of any strategy to realize scalable quantum information processing. Apart from the strength of the coupling to the environment, the decoherence rate is determined by the the system level structure and by the spectral composition of the noise trace that the environment generates. Here, we discuss a relatively simple model that allows us to study these different effects quantitatively in detail. We evaluate the effect that the perturbation has on an NMR system while it performs a Grover search algorithm.
We discuss the advantages of using the approximate quantum Fourier transform (AQFT) in algorithms which involve periodicity estimations. We analyse quantum networks performing AQFT in the presence of decoherence and show that extensive approximations can be made before the accuracy of AQFT (as compared with regular quantum Fourier transform) is compromised. We show that for some computations an approximation may imply a better performance.
We consider the problem of mapping digital data encoded on a quantum register to analog amplitudes in parallel. It is shown to be unlikely that a fully unitary polynomial-time quantum algorithm exists for this problem; NP becomes a subset of BQP if it exists. In the practical point of view, we propose a nonunitary linear-time algorithm using quantum decoherence. It tacitly uses an exponentially large physical resource, which is typically a huge number of identical molecules. Quantumness of correlation appearing in the process of the algorithm is also discussed.
For the prototypical example of the Ising chain in a transverse field, we study the impact of decoherence on the sweep through a second-order quantum phase transition. Apart from the advance in the general understanding of the dynamics of quantum phase transitions, these findings are relevant for adiabatic quantum algorithms due to the similarities between them. It turns out that (in contrast to first-order transitions studied previously) the impact of decoherence caused by a weak coupling to a rather general environment increases with system size (i.e., number of spins/qubits), which might li…
We have studied two complementary decoherence measures purity and fidelity for a generic diffusive noise in two different chaotic systems (the baker and the cat maps). For both quantities, we have found classical structures in quantum mechanics - the scar functions - that are specially stable when subjected to environmental perturbations. We show that these quantum states constructed on classical invariants are the most robust significant quantum distributions in generic dissipative maps.
A quantum memory interacts with its environment and loses information via decoherence as well as incoherence. A robust quantum control that prepares, preserves, and manipulates nonclassical correlations even in the presence of environmental influence is of paramount importance in quantum information processing. A well-known technique to suppress decoherence, namely Dynamical Decoupling (DD), consists of a sequence of rapid flips applied to the system in order to refocus the system-environment interactions. In this work, we integrate DD with quantum gates using optimal control techniques to rea…
We present a study of the effects of decoherence in the operation of a discrete quantum walk on a line, cycle and hypercube. We find high sensitivity to decoherence, increasing with the number of steps in the walk, as the particle is becoming more delocalised with each step. However, the effect of a small amount of decoherence is to enhance the properties of the quantum walk that are desirable for the development of quantum algorithms. Specifically, we observe a highly uniform distribution on the line, a very fast mixing time on the cycle, and more reliable hitting times across the hypercube.
We consider how randomness can be made to play a useful role in quantum information processing - in particular, for decoherence control and the implementation of quantum algorithms. For a two-level system in which the decoherence channel is non-dissipative, we show that decoherence suppression is possible if memory is present in the channel. Random switching between two potentially harmful noise sources can then provide a source of stochastic control. Such random switching can also be used in an advantageous way for the implementation of quantum algorithms.
We study the influence of errors and decoherence on both the performance of Shor's factoring algorithm and Grover's search algorithm, and on the amount of interference in these algorithms using a recently proposed interference measure. We consider systematic unitary errors, random unitary errors, and decoherence processes. We show that unitary errors which destroy the interference destroy the efficiency of the algorithm, too. However, unitary errors may also create useless additional interference. In such a case the total amount of interference can increase, while the efficiency of the quantum…
We study analytically and numerically the behavior of quantum entanglement in a quantum computer operating an efficient algorithm for quantum chaos. Our results show that in an ideal algorithm the entanglement decays exponentially with the diffusive relaxation rate induced by classical chaos. This decay goes down to a residual level which drops exponentially with the number of qubits n_q. Decoherence destroys the residual entanglement with a rate exponential in n_q.
We demonstrate that the Chebyshev expansion method is a very efficient numerical tool for studying spin-bath decoherence of quantum systems. We consider two typical problems arising in studying decoherence of quantum systems consisting of few coupled spins: (i) determining the pointer states of the system, and (ii) determining the temporal decay of quantum oscillations. As our results demonstrate, for determining the pointer states, the Chebyshev-based scheme is at least a factor of 8 faster than existing algorithms based on the Suzuki-Trotter decomposition. For the problems of second type, th…
In this paper, we study decoherence in Grover's quantum search algorithm using a perturbative method. We assume that each two-state system (qubit) that belongs to a register suffers a phase flip error (σ_{z} error) with probability p independently at every step in the algorithm, where $0\leq p\leq 1$. Considering an n-qubit density operator to which Grover's iterative operation is applied M times, we expand it in powers of 2Mnp and derive its matrix element order by order under the large-n limit. [In this large-n limit, we assume p is small enough, so that 2Mnp can take any real positive value…
We derive a general fluctuation theorem for quantum maps. The theorem applies to a broad class of quantum dynamics, such as unitary evolution, decoherence, thermalization, and other types of evolution for quantum open systems. The theorem reproduces well-known fluctuation theorems in a single and simplified framework and extends the Hatano-Sasa theorem to quantum nonequilibrium processes. Moreover, it helps to elucidate the physical nature of the environment inducing a given dynamics in an open quantum system.
We show that multidimensional Zeno effect combined with non-holonomic control allows to efficiently protect quantum systems from decoherence by a method similar to classical coding. Contrary to the conventional approach, our method is applicable to arbitrary error-inducing Hamiltonians and general quantum systems. We also propose algorithms of finding encoding that approaches the Hamming upper bound along with methods of practical realizations of the encodings. Two new codes protecting 2 information qubits out of 7 and 4 information qubits out of 9 against a single error with arbitrarily small…
We considered the interaction of semiconductor quantum register with noisy environment leading to various types of qubit errors. We analysed both phase and amplitude decays during the process of electron-phonon interaction. The performance of quantum error correction codes (QECC) which will be inevitably used in full scale quantum information processors was studied in realistic conditions in semiconductor nanostructures. As a hardware basis for quantum bit we chose the quantum spatial states of single electron in semiconductor coupled double quantum dot system. The modified 5- and 9-qubit quan…
We describe exchange-only universal quantum computation and leakage reduction in the 3-qubit decoherence free subsystem (DFS). We discuss the angular momentum structure of the DFS, the proper forms for the DFS CNOT and leakage reduction operators in the total angular momentum basis, and new exchange-only pulse sequences for the CNOT and leakage reduction operators. Our new DFS CNOT sequence requires 22 pulses in 13 time steps. The DFS leakage reduction sequence, the first explicit leakage reduction sequence of its kind, requires 30 pulses in 20 time steps. Although the search for sequences was…
