Noisy intermediate-scale quantum computers

Quantum computers have made extraordinary progress over the past decade, and significant milestones have been achieved along the path of pursuing universal fault-tolerant quantum computers. Quantum advantage, the tipping point heralding the quantum era, has been accomplished along with several waves of breakthroughs. Quantum hardware has become more integrated and architectural compared to its toddler days. The controlling precision of various physical systems is pushed beyond the fault-tolerant threshold. Meanwhile, quantum computation research has established a new norm by embracing industrialization and commercialization. The joint power of governments, private investors, and tech companies has significantly shaped a new vibrant environment that accelerates the development of this field, now at the beginning of the noisy intermediate-scale quantum era. Here, we first discuss the progress achieved in the field of quantum computation by reviewing the most important algorithms and advances in the most promising technical routes, and then summarizing the next-stage challenges. Furthermore, we illustrate our confidence that solid foundations have been built for the fault-tolerant quantum computer and our optimism that the emergence of quantum killer applications essential for human society shall happen in the future.     

表面等离激元量子信息应用研究进展

近年来表面等离激元得到了越来越多的关注和研究,得益于其能把电磁场束缚在金属-介质界面附近的亚波长尺度范围内.本文回顾了近年来表面等离激元在量子信息领域中的理论和实验研究,包括表面等离激元的基本量子性质、表面等离激元量子回路、在量子尺度下与物质的相互作用及其潜在应用.量子表面等离激元开辟了对表面等离激元基本物理性质研究的新方向,可以应用于高度集成化的量子集成光学回路,同时也可以用来增强光与量子发光体的相互作用.     

量子计算算法介绍

量子计算机利用量子力学原理进行计算,具有量子并行计算的优势,能够超越经典计算1990年中期,量子算法取得突破,舒尔(Shor)构造了大数质因子的量子算法,葛洛沃(Grover)构造了无序数据库的量子搜索算法,引起了人们对量子计算的重视,极大地推动了量子计算的研究.文章简单介绍了几个典型的量子算法以及量子算法研究的一些新进展.     

基于拉曼协议的量子存储

量子存储器是实现按照需要存储/读出诸如单光子、纠缠或者压缩态等非经典量子态的系统,是实现量子通信和量子计算必不可少的核心器件.量子存储协议多种多样,其中拉曼方案由于具有存储宽带大、可用于存储短脉冲信号的优点而引起了人们的广泛关注.然而实现真正单光子和光子纠缠的拉曼存储具有挑战性.本文简要介绍了量子存储器的主要性能和评价指标,在回顾了量子存储器特别是拉曼量子存储器的发展现状后,重点介绍了本研究组最近基于拉曼协议实现各种量子态存储的系列研究,取得的研究成果对于构建高速量子网络具有重要参考价值.     

量子计算与量子模拟

量子计算和量子模拟在过去的几年里发展迅速,今后涉及多量子比特的量子计算和量子模拟将是一个发展的重点.本文回顾了该领域的主要进展,包括量子多体模拟、量子计算、量子计算模拟器、量子计算云平台、量子软件等内容,其中量子多体模拟又涵盖量子多体动力学、时间晶体及多体局域化、量子统计和量子化学等的模拟.这些研究方向的回顾是基于对现阶段量子计算和量子模拟研究特点的考虑,即量子比特数处于中等规模而量子操控精度还不具有大规模逻辑门实现的能力,研究处于基础科研和实用化的过渡阶段,因此综述的内容主要还是希望管窥今后的发展.     

Chaos and quantum Fisher information in the quantum kicked top

Quantum Fisher information is related to the problem of parameter estimation.Recently,a criterion has been proposed for entanglement in multipartite systems based on quantum Fisher information.This paper studies the behaviours of quantum Fisher information in the quantum kicked top model,whose classical correspondence can be chaotic.It finds that,first,detected by quantum Fisher information,the quantum kicked top is entangled whether the system is in chaotic or in regular case.Secondly,the quantum Fisher information is larger in chaotic case than that in regular case,which means,the system is more sensitive in the chaotic case.     

Continuous variable quantum key distribution

Quantum key distribution enables unconditionally secure key distribution between two legitimate users.The information-theoretic security is guaranteed by the fundamental laws of quantum physics.Initially,the quantum key distribution protocol was proposed based on the qubits.Later on,it was found that quantum continuous variables can also be exploited for this target.The continuous variable quantum key distribution can build upon standard telecommunication technology and exhibits a higher secret key rate per pulse at a relatively short distance due to the possibility of encoding more than 1 bit per pulse.In this article,we review the current status of the continuous variable quantum key distribution research,including its basic principle,experimental implementations,security and future directions;the experimental progress in this field made by our group is also presented.     

量子存储研究进展

量子技术,比如量子通信、量子计算,具有经典技术所不具有的优势.但是,作为量子技术基本元素的量子态往往极为脆弱,很容易受到外界环境的影响而丢失,而且量子态的制造和量子操作往往是概率性的.这种概率性使得远距离量子通信和大规模的量子计算很难实现,除非有量子存储器将这些随机产生的量子态缓存并同步起来.在过去的十几年中,量子存储在各种各样的存储方案中得到了研究,而且已经从最初的原理性演示逐步发展到了如今的近乎可实用化.现如今,量子存储领域追求的是可实用化,而判断一个存储器是否可以实用化的基本标准是:高存储效率、低噪音、长寿命(或者大的时间带宽积)和室温条件下运行.通过介绍多个具有代表性的存储方案,本文给出了量子存储领域的研究现状和发展趋势.其中基于室温原子系综的宽带量子存储因其装置简单、实用性更强而广受关注.但是由于噪音问题,直到最近才在实验室中实现可工作在室温环境中的宽带FORD (far off-resonance Duan-Lukin-Cirac-Zoller)量子存储和梯形量子存储.本文对多种存储方案的工作原理、优缺点进行了介绍,对FORD方案之所以能够成功进行了分析,还对量子存储的降噪方法进行了总结.     

Enhancing the capability of controlling quantum systems via ancillary systems

This paper explores the potential of controlling quantum systems by introducing ancillary systems and then performing unitary operation on the resulting composite systems. It generalizes the concept of pure state controllability for quantum systems and establishes the link between the operator controllability of the composite system and the generalized pure state controllability of its subsystem. It is constructively demonstrated that if a composite quantum system can be transferred between any pair of orthonormal pure vectors, then its subsystem is generalized pure-state controllable. Furthermore, the unitary operation and the coherent control can be concretely given to transfer the system from an initial state to the target state. Therefore, these properties may be potentially applied in quantum information, such as manipulating multiple quantum bits and creating entangled pure states. A concrete example has been given to illustrate that a maximally entangled pure state of a quantum system can be generated by introducing an ancillary system and performing open-loop coherent control on the resulting composite system.     

利用超导量子电路模拟拓扑量子材料

近年来,探索新的拓扑量子材料、研究拓扑材料的新奇物理性质成为凝聚态物理领域的一个热点.但是,由于合成、测量等手段的限制,人们难以在真实材料中实现和观测很多理论预言的材料及其物理性质,促使量子模拟日益成为研究量子多体系统的一个重要手段.作为全固态器件,超导量子电路是一个在扩展性、集成性、调控性上都具有巨大优势的人工量子系统,是实现量子模拟的重要方案.本文总结了利用超导量子电路对时间-空间反演对称性保护的拓扑半金属、Hopf-link半金属和Maxwell半金属等拓扑材料的量子模拟,显示出超导量子电路在模拟凝聚态物理系统方面具有广阔前景.     

量子物理学百年回顾

简述了量子物理学诞生的背景。它的诞生,打开了人们认识微观物质世界运动规律的大门。物质属性及其微观结构问题,只有在量子物理的基础上才在原则上得以解决．量子力学提供了所有现代科学的基础支柱。在过去一百年中,量子物理不仅对于说明众多自然现象取得了无与伦比的成功,它还引发了大量的技术应用。由于量子物理学的基本概念与人们日常生活经验如此不同,诞生伊始至今,对于量子力学原理的诠释存在持续不断的争论。量子理论以前所未有的深度改变了人们的世界观。     

量子环中量子比特的性质

通过精确求解能量本征方程获得量子环的电子能态,并利用电子的基态和第一激发态构造一个量子比特.对InAs/GaAs量子环的数值计算表明：当环尺寸给定时,量子比特内电子的概率密度分布与坐标位置及时间有关,在环内中心位置处电子出现的概率最大,电子的概率密度随柱坐标内的转角作周期性变化,并且各个空间点处的概率密度均随时间做周期性振荡. 关键词： 量子环 能量本征方程 电子能态 量子比特     

Interaction induced non-reciprocal three-level quantum transport

Besides its fundamental importance, non-reciprocity has also found many potential applications in quantum technology. Recently, many quantum systems have been proposed to realize non-reciprocity, but stable non-reciprocal process is still experimentally difficult in general, due to the needed cyclical interactions in artificial systems or operational difficulties in solid state materials. Here, we propose a new kind of interaction induced non-reciprocal operation, based on the conventional stimulated-Raman-adiabatic-passage(STIRAP) setup, which removes the experimental difficulty of requiring cyclical interaction, and thus it is directly implementable in various quantum systems. Furthermore, we also illustrate our proposal on a chain of three coupled superconducting transmons, which can lead to a non-reciprocal circulator with high fidelity without a ring coupling configuration as in the previous schemes or implementations. Therefore, our protocol provides a promising way to explore fundamental non-reciprocal quantum physics as well as realize non-reciprocal quantum device.     

基于金刚石氮-空位色心自旋系综与超导量子电路混合系统的量子节点纠缠

量子纠缠是实现量子计算和量子通信的核心基础,本文提出了在金刚石氮-空位色心(NV centers)自旋系综与超导量子电路耦合的混合系统中实现两个分离量子节点之间纠缠的理论方案.在该混合系统中,把金刚石NV centers自旋系综和与之耦合的超导共面谐振器视为一个量子节点,两个量子节点之间通过一个空的超导共面谐振器连接.具有较长相干时间的NV centers自旋系综作为一个量子存储器,用于制备、存储和发送量子信息;易于外部操控的超导量子电路可执行量子逻辑门操作,快速调控量子信息.为了实现两个分离量子节点之间的纠缠,首先对系统的哈密顿量进行正则变换,将其等价为两个NV centers自旋系综与同一个超导共面谐振器之间的JC耦合;然后采用NV centers自旋-光子混合比特编码的方式,通过调节超导共面谐振器的谐振频率,精确控制体系演化时间,高保真度地实现了两个分离量子节点之间的量子纠缠.本方案还可以进一步扩展和集成,用于构建多节点纠缠的分布式量子网络.     

Scheme for realizing quantum computation and quantum information transfer with superconducting qubits coupling to a 1D transmission line resonator

This paper proposes a simple scheme for realizing one-qubit and two-qubit quantum gates as well as multiqubit entanglement based on dc-SQUID charge qubits through the control of their coupling to a 1D transmission line resonator (TLR). The TLR behaves effectively as a quantum data-bus mode of a harmonic oscillator, which has several practical advantages including strong coupling strength, reproducibility, immunity to 1/f noise, and suppressed spontaneous emission. In this protocol, the data-bus does not need to stay adiabatically in its ground state, which results in not only fast quantum operation, but also high-fidelity quantum information processing. Also, it elaborates the transfer process with the 1D transmission line.     

A prototype of quantum von Neumann architecture

A modern computer system, based on the von Neumann architecture, is a complicated system with several interactive modular parts. It requires a thorough understanding of the physics of information storage, processing, protection, readout, etc. Quantum computing, as the most generic usage of quantum information, follows a hybrid architecture so far, namely, quantum algorithms are stored and controlled classically, and mainly the executions of them are quantum, leading to the so-called quantum processing units. Such a quantum–classical hybrid is constrained by its classical ingredients, and cannot reveal the computational power of a fully quantum computer system as conceived from the beginning of the field. Recently, the nature of quantum information has been further recognized, such as the no-programming and no-control theorems, and the unifying understandings of quantum algorithms and computing models. As a result, in this work, we propose a model of a universal quantum computer system, the quantum version of the von Neumann architecture. It uses ebits (i.e. Bell states) as elements of the quantum memory unit, and qubits as elements of the quantum control unit and processing unit. As a digital quantum system, its global configurations can be viewed as tensor-network states. Its universality is proved by the capability to execute quantum algorithms based on a program composition scheme via a universal quantum gate teleportation. It is also protected by the uncertainty principle, the fundamental law of quantum information, making it quantum-secure and distinct from the classical case. In particular, we introduce a few variants of quantum circuits, including the tailed, nested, and topological ones, to characterize the roles of quantum memory and control, which could also be of independent interest in other contexts. In all, our primary study demonstrates the manifold power of quantum information and paves the way for the creation of quantum computer systems in the near future.     

多模式固态量子存储

量子存储器是光子与物质系统之间的接口,允许存入和读出加载了量子信息的光子,是构建实用化量子网络的核心器件.基于稀土掺杂晶体可以实现固态的量子存储器,较长的相干时间和较宽的存储带宽使其成为目前最有潜力的量子物理系统之一.本文综述近年来基于稀土掺杂晶体的多模式固态量子存储方面的实验进展.主要内容包括频率自由度的多模式量子存储、时间自由度的多模式量子存储、空间自由度的多模式量子存储和多个自由度并行复用的多模式量子存储.在多自由度复用的多模式存储的基础上进一步介绍基于量子存储器的量子模式变换和实时的任意操作.该系列工作为构建高速率的实用化量子网络奠定基础,其中超越存储器本身的脉冲操作功能还有望在未来量子信息处理过程中获得广泛的应用.     

GaAs量子阱太阳能电池量子效率的研究

将量子阱结构引入到单结GaAs太阳能电池中能够有效扩展吸收光谱.为了研究量子阱结构在GaAs太阳能电池中的作用机理,本文采用实验和理论的方法研究了InGaAs/GaAsP量子阱结构对电池量子效率的影响.实验结果表明,量子阱结构的窄带隙阱层材料将电池的吸收光谱从890 nm扩展到1000 nm.同时,量子阱结构的引入提高了680—890 nm波长范围内的量子效率,降低了波长在680 nm以下的量子效率.通过计算得到的量子阱结构和GaAs材料的光吸收系数,可以用来解释量子阱结构对太阳能电池量子效率的影响.     

Quantifying quantum correlation via quantum coherence

Resource theory is applied to quantify the quantum correlation of a bipartite state and a computable measure is proposed. Since this measure is based on quantum coherence, we present another possible physical meaning for quantum correlation, i.e., the minimum quantum coherence achieved under local unitary transformations. This measure satisfies the basic requirements for quantifying quantum correlation and coincides with concurrence for pure states. Since no optimization is involved in the final definition, this measure is easy to compute irrespective of the Hilbert space dimension of the bipartite state.