Quantifying and Optimizing the Performance of Continuous-Variable Quantum Logic Operations

Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge LA

Investigators

Abstract

The main goal of the proposed research is to develop theoretical tools for assessing the performance of continuous-variable quantum logic gates, operations, and channels. Continuous-variable quantum computing is a promising approach to quantum information processing that is being pursued by leading academic groups around the world, and there are now even commercial efforts. Quantum computing has the potential to change the world in profound ways, by allowing for breaking encryption methods that are in wide use, allowing for faster simulation of quantum chemical reactions (thus playing an important role in medicine), and more recently it has been discovered that there is the potential for speed-up in optimization and machine learning. With these applications in mind, it is essential to understand the continuous-variable approach, by quantifying the performance of these quantum computers. It is also clear that this research and the related applications serves the national interest and mission of the NSF: "to advance the national health, prosperity and welfare; to secure the national defense." Additionally, there are broader impacts of this research for the Louisiana / Mississippi River Delta Region. The research will increase the training of graduate students at LSU in the expanding field of quantum information science. Graduate students will present results in the public forum of QuILT Day (Quantum Information in Louisiana) Day, which is a day-long conference held each semester that brings several research groups throughout Louisiana and nearby regions to discuss recent advances and ongoing research in quantum information. The technical contribution of the research is to quantify precisely by how much an experimental approximation of a continuous-variable operation deviates from its ideal implementation. Continuous-variable quantum gates are an essential component of quantum computing with the continuous quantum variables of light. Continuous-variable systems are present in many quantum information processing architectures, including superconducting, ion trap, and photonic devices. It is essential to devise methods for quantifying the performance of continuous-variable quantum devices. While there have been several advances in this domain in discrete-variable quantum information processing, there are not nearly as many tools available for the continuous-variable case. One of the main aims of this project is to rectify this situation, with the idea being to develop tools for quantifying the performance of continuous-variable quantum gates and operations. Particular examples include improving continuous-variable teleportation protocols to more effectively simulate an ideal channel, as well as developing novel machine learning techniques in order to discover and improve such protocols. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.