Quantum computing based on space states without charge transfer

An implementation of a quantum computer based on space states in double quantum dots is discussed. There is no charge transfer in qubits during a calculation, therefore, uncontrolled entanglement between qubits due to long-range Coulomb interaction is suppressed. Encoding and processing of quantum information is merely performed on symmetric and antisymmetric states of the electron in double quantum dots. Other plausible sources of decoherence caused by interaction with phonons and gates could be substantially suppressed in the structure as well. We also demonstrate how all necessary quantum logic operations, initialization, writing, and read-out could be carried out in the computer.     

Towards optimization of quantum circuits

Any unitary operation in quantum information processing can be implemented via a sequence of simpler steps — quantum gates. However, actual implementation of a quantum gate is always imperfect and takes a finite time. Therefore, searching for a short sequence of gates — efficient quantum circuit for a given operation, is an important task. We contribute to this issue by proposing optimization of the well-known universal procedure proposed by Barenco et al. [Phys. Rev. A 52, 3457 (1995)]. We also created a computer program which realizes both Barenco’s decomposition and the proposed optimization. Furthermore, our optimization can be applied to any quantum circuit containing generalized Toffoli gates, including basic quantum gate circuits.      

A NISQ Method to Simulate Hermitian Matrix Evolution

As a universal quantum computer requires millions of error-corrected qubits, one of the current goals is to exploit the power of noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) devices. Based on a NISQ module–layered circuit, we propose a heuristic protocol to simulate Hermitian matrix evolution, which is widely applied as the core for many quantum algorithms. The two embedded methods, with their own advantages, only require shallow circuits and basic quantum gates. Capable to being deployed in near future quantum devices, we hope it provides an experiment-friendly way, contributing to the exploitation of power of current devices.     

Progress of quantum entanglement in a trapped-ion based quantum computer

In recent years, there have been significant progress toward building a practical quantum computer, demonstrating key ingredients such as single-qubit gates and a two-qubit entangling gate. Among various physical platforms for a potential quantum computing processor, a trapped-ion system has been one of the most promising platforms due to long coherence times, high-fidelity quantum gates, and qubit connectivity. However, scaling up the number of qubits for a practical quantum computing faces a core challenge in operating high-fidelity quantum gates under influence from neighboring qubits. In particular, for the trapped-ion system, unwanted quantum crosstalk between qubits and ions’ quantum motional states hinder performing high-fidelity entanglement as the number of ions increases. In this review, we introduce a trapped-ion system and explain how to perform single-qubit gates and a two-qubit entanglement. Moreover, we mainly address theoretical and experimental approaches to achieve high-fidelity and scalable entanglement toward a trapped-ion based quantum computer.     

How to utilize a Grover search in general programming

It is widely believed that quantum computers (if realized) will be more powerful than today’s computers from the viewpoint of computational complexity. However, it is not obvious how to utilize quantum computers in practical situations. For practical purposes, a Grover search may be one of the most promising quantum algorithms known so far. Thus, in this paper, we propose an efficient framework where we can use Grover search for general programming. Our framework has the following steps. (1) A programmer writes a program by using standard C++ programming language. (2) Some if expressions within for loops in the C++ source code are chosen as candidates to be performed as a Grover search on a quantum computer. (3) The framework automatically generates a corresponding quantum circuit for each Grover search chosen in (2). Unlike the existing quantum circuit design methods, we can treat large problems in our quantum circuit design. (4) By evaluating the number of primitive quantum gates in the quantum circuit generated in (3), the framework determines whether the processing time of the quantum circuit is faster than the processing time of the corresponding if expression on a classical computer. If the framework determines that the quantum circuit is faster, it generates some interface source codes for a classical computer. Thus, in our framework, a programmer can use a Grover search with almost no effort.     

A cross-disciplinary introduction to quantum annealing-based algorithms

A central goal in quantum computing is the development of quantum hardware and quantum algorithms in order to analyse challenging scientific and engineering problems. Research in quantum computation involves contributions from both physics and computer science; hence this article presents a concise introduction to basic concepts from both fields that are used in annealing-based quantum computation, an alternative to the more familiar quantum gate model. We introduce some concepts from computer science required to define difficult computational problems and to realise the potential relevance of quantum algorithms to find novel solutions to those problems. We introduce the structure of quantum annealing-based algorithms as well as two examples of this kind of algorithms for solving instances of the max-SAT and Minimum Multicut problems. An overview of the quantum annealing systems manufactured by D-Wave Systems is also presented.     

An endohedral fullerene-based nuclear spin quantum computer

We propose a new scalable quantum computer architecture based on endohedral fullerene molecules. Qubits are encoded in the nuclear spins of the endohedral atoms, which posses even longer coherence times than the electron spins which are used as the qubits in previous proposals. To address the individual qubits, we use the hyperfine interaction, which distinguishes two modes (active and passive) of the nuclear spin. Two-qubit quantum gates are effectively implemented by employing the electronic dipolar interaction between adjacent molecules. The electron spins also assist in the qubit initialization and readout. Our architecture should be significantly easier to implement than earlier proposals for spin-based quantum computers, such as the concept of Kane [B.E. Kane, Nature 393 (1998) 133].     

广义量子干涉原理及对偶量子计算机

我们综述最近提出的广义量子干涉原理及其在量子计算中的应用。广义量子干涉原理是对狄拉克单光子干涉原理的具体化和多光子推广,不但对像原子这样的紧致的量子力学体系适用,而且适用于几个独立的光子这样的松散量子体系。利用广义量子干涉原理,许多引起争议的问题都可以得到合理的解释,例如两个以上的单光子的干涉等问题。从广义量子干涉原理来看双光子或者多光子的干涉就是双光子和双光子自身的干涉,多光子和多光子自身的干涉。广义量子干涉原理可以利用多组分量子力学体系的广义Feynman积分表示,可以定量地计算。基于这个原理我们提出了一种新的计算机,波粒二象计算机,又称为对偶计算机。在原理上对偶计算机超越了经典的计算机和现有的量子计算机。在对偶计算机中,计算机的波函数被分成若干个子波并使其通过不同的路径,在这些路径上进行不同的量子计算门操作,而后这些子波重新合并产生干涉从而给出计算结果。除了量子计算机具有的量子平行性外,对偶计算机还具有对偶平行性。形象地说,对偶计算机是一台通过多狭缝的运动着的量子计算机,在不同的狭缝进行不同的量子操作,实现对偶平行性。目前已经建立起严格的对偶量子计算机的数学理论,为今后的进一步发展打下了基础。本文着重从物理的角度去综述广义量子干涉原理和对偶计算机。现在的研究已经证明,一台d狭缝的n比特的对偶计算机等同与一个n比特+一个d比特(qudit)的普通量子计算机,证明了对偶计算机具有比量子计算机更强大的能力。这样,我们可以使用一台具有n+log2d个比特的普通量子计算机去模拟一个d狭缝的n比特对偶计算机,省去了研制运动量子计算机的巨大的技术上的障碍。我们把这种量子计算机的运行模式称为对偶计算模式,或简称为对偶模式。利用这一联系反过来可以帮助我们理解广义量子干涉原理,因为在量子计算机中一切计算都是普通的量子力学所允许的量子操作,因此广义量子干涉原理就是普通的量子力学体系所允许的原理,而这个原理只是是在多体量子力学体系中才会表现出来。对偶计算机是一种新式的计算机,里面有许多问题期待研究和发展,同时也充满了机会。在对偶计算机中,除了幺正操作外,还可以允许非幺正操作,几乎包括我们可以想到的任何操作,我们称之为对偶门操作或者广义量子门操作。目前这已经引起了数学家的注意,并给出了广义量子门操作的一些数学性质。此外,利用量子计算机和对偶计算机的联系,可以将许多经典计算机的算法移植到量子计算机中,经过改造成为量子算法。由于对偶计算机中的演化是非幺正的,对偶量子计算机将可能在开放量子力学的体系的研究中起到重要的作用。     

Effect of Rashba spin-orbit coupling on electron transport in asymmetrically coupled regular polygonal quantum ring

The effect of Rashba spin-orbit coupling (SOC) on electron transport in asymmetrically coupled regular polygonal quantum ring is investigated. In absence of SOC, two kinds of conductance zeros appear periodically. In presence of SOC, one kind of conductance zero can be lifted by the Rashba SOC, the others persist.     

Bound polaron in a quantum pseudodot under Rashba effect

In the present work, the influence of Rashba effect on bound polaron in a quantum pseudodot is studied. Using the Lee–Low–Pines unitary transformation method and the Pekar type variational procedure, we have derived an expression for the bound polaron ground state energy. The ground state energy as functions of the wave vector, the electron–phonon coupling strength, and quantum confinement size is obtained by considering different Coulomb bound potentials. It is found that (i) the ground state energy is decreased with raising the Coulomb bound potential, the electron–phonon coupling strength, and quantum confinement size. (ii) The ground state energy increases when the wave vector is increasing. (iii) The ground state energy splits into two branches (spin-up and spin-down) due to the Rashba effect.     

Efficient decomposition of quantum gates

Optimal implementation of quantum gates is crucial for designing a quantum computer. We consider the matrix representation of an arbitrary multiqubit gate. By ordering the basis vectors using the Gray code, we construct the quantum circuit which is optimal in the sense of fully controlled single-qubit gates and yet is equivalent with the multiqubit gate. In the second step of the optimization, superfluous control bits are eliminated, which eventually results in a smaller total number of the elementary gates. In our scheme the number of controlled NOT gates is O(4(n)) which coincides with the theoretical lower bound.     

Universal quantum computation with qudits

Quantum circuit model has been widely explored for various quantum applications such as Shors algorithm and Grovers searching algorithm. Most of previous algorithms are based on the qubit systems. Herein a proposal for a universal circuit is given based on the qudit system, which is larger and can store more information. In order to prove its universality for quantum applications, an explicit set of one-qudit and two-qudit gates is provided for the universal qudit computation. The one-qudit gates are general rotation for each two-dimensional subspace while the two-qudit gates are their controlled extensions. In comparison to previous quantum qudit logical gates, each primitive qudit gate is only dependent on two free parameters and may be easily implemented. In experimental implementation, multilevel ions with the linear ion trap model are used to build the qudit systems and use the coupling of neighbored levels for qudit gates. The controlled qudit gates may be realized with the interactions of internal and external coordinates of the ion.     

Spin current pumping with two orthogonal electric fields in quantum wire

We study the problem of spin current pumping in a one-dimensional quantum wire when there exist two orthogonal Rashba spin-orbit couplings (SOCs) in different regions which evolve with time and can be induced by the perpendicular electric fields. On one hand, we demonstrate that the time-evolving Rashba SOC is equivalent to the spin-dependent electric field and the scheme may lead to the pure spin current associated with well suppressed charge current. On the other hand, we adopt the non-equilibrium Green's function method and numerically find that the parameter loop must satisfy certain condition for the successful pumping. We also study the effect of the Fermi energy and the inevitable disorder on the spin current. The implications of these results are discussed.     

Rashba interferometers: Spin-dependent single- and two-electron interference

Quantum transport in semiconductor nanostructures can be described theoretically in terms of the propagation and scattering of electron probability waves. Within this approach, elements of a phase-coherent electric circuit play a role similar to quantum-optical devices that can be characterised by scattering matrices. Electronic analogues of well-know optical interferometers have been fabricated and used to study special features of charge carriers in solids. We present results from our theoretical investigation into the interplay between spin precession and quantum interference in an electronic Mach-Zehnder interferometer with spin-orbit coupling of the Rashba type. Intriguing spin-dependent transport effects occur, which can be the basis for novel spintronic devices such as a magnet-less spin-controlled field-effect transistor and a variety of single-qubit gates. Their functionality arises entirely from spin-dependent interference of each single-input electron with itself. We have also studied two-electron interference effects for the spin-dependent Mach-Zehnder interferometer, obtaining analytical expressions for its two-fermion-state scattering matrix. Using this result, we consider ways to generate two-electron output states for which the Rashba spin-subband quantum number and the output arm index are entangled. Combining spin-dependent interference in our proposed Mach-Zehnder interferometer with a projective charge measurement at the output enables entanglement generation. As our particular scheme involves tuneable spin precession, electric-field control of entanglement production can be achieved.     

Exact Equivalence between Quantum Adiabatic Algorithm and Quantum Circuit Algorithm

We present a rigorous proof that quantum circuit algorithm can be transformed into quantum adiabatic algorithm with the exact same time complexity. This means that from a quantum circuit algorithm of L gates we can construct a quantum adiabatic algorithm with time complexity of O(L). Additionally, our construction shows that one may exponentially speed up some quantum adiabatic algorithms by properly choosing an evolution path.     

Duality Quantum Computers and Quantum Operations

We present a mathematical theory for a new type of quantum computer called a duality quantum computer that is similar to one that has recently been proposed. We discuss the nonunitarity of certain circuits of a duality quantum computer. We then discuss the relevance of this work to quantum operations and their convexity theory. This discussion is based upon isomorphism theorems for completely positive maps.     

Tunable quantum capacitance and magnetic oscillation in bilayer graphene device

We address the quantum capacitance of a bilayer graphene device in the presence of Rashba spin–orbit interaction (SOI) by applying external magnetic fields and interlayer biases. Quantum capacitance reflects the mixing of the spin-up and spin-down states of Landau levels and can be effectively modulated by the interlayer bias. The interplay between interlayer bias and Rashba SOI strongly affects magnetic oscillations. The typical beating pattern changes tuned by Rashba SOI strength, interlayer bias energy, and temperature are examined as well.     

Quantum computation with programmable connections between gates

A new model of quantum computation is considered, in which the connections between gates are programmed by the state of a quantum register. This new model of computation is shown to be more powerful than the usual quantum computation, e.g. in achieving the programmability of permutations of N different unitary channels with 1 use instead of N uses per channel. For this task, a new elemental resource is needed, the quantum switch, which can be programmed to switch the order of two channels with a single use of each one.     

Optimal multiqubit operations for Josephson charge qubits

We introduce a method for finding the required control parameters for a quantum computer that yields the desired quantum algorithm without invoking elementary gates. We concentrate on the Josephson charge-qubit model, but the scenario is readily extended to other physical realizations. Our strategy is to numerically find any desired double- or triple-qubit gate. The motivation is the need to significantly accelerate quantum algorithms in order to fight decoherence.     

Equivalent programmable quantum processors

Programmable quantum circuits, or processors, have the advantage over single-purpose quantum circuits that they can be used to perform more than one function. The inputs of a quantum processor consist of two quantum states, the first, the data register, is a state on which an operation is to be performed, and the second, the program, determines the operation to be performed on the data. In this paper we study how to determine whether two different quantum processors perform the same set of operations on the data. We define an equivalence between quantum processors that is quite natural in a circuit model of quantum information processing. Two processors are equivalent if one can be converted into the other by inserting fixed unitary gates at the input and the output of the program register. We then use this definition to find a necessary condition for two processors to be equivalent. We also study the beam splitter as an example of a quantum processor and find that this example suggests that as well as there being an equivalence relation on processors, there may also be a partial ordering.