Software-Tailored Architecture for Quantum Co-Design (STAQ)

量子计算机有望催生一个计算能力的新时代，造福全社会。然而，量子计算机处理是基于基本的物理定律，在日常生活中没有类似的东西，这使得吸引所需的技术人员和用户群成为一项挑战。NSF-STAQ计划是一项独特的国家量子计算机研究活动，在大学环境中设计，运行和优化可编程量子计算机系统上的量子算法。STAQ量子计算机是在杜克大学内部设计和制造的，基于成熟和可扩展的捕获原子离子平台-单个原子悬浮在带有电磁场的芯片上，并由激光束控制。杜克量子中心的几个可编程量子计算机系统能够运行通用量子电路和应用程序。STAQ团队由来自8个机构的17名调查人员组成，其中包括杜克大学的核心人员，他们完全控制了所有硬件和软件层。STAQ将汇集科学家、工程师、计算机科学家和应用专家，加速量子计算机超越传统计算机的优势，同时教育公众，并将量子计算机带给那些可能不熟悉量子力学或其对社会日益重要的用户。在计算中确保量子优势将需要一个垂直的“全栈”方法，将应用程序和算法开发与软件优化和控制集成到由通常以量子比特（量子位）表示的可控量子系统组成的硬件级别。STAQ硬件基于捕获的原子离子，由于其高性能、可重构性和软件可控性，所有这些都是在STAQ设施中设计和制造的。然而，STAQ计划中量子计算的一般方法预计将授予其他物理平台。STAQ程序将共同设计量子算法，使STAQ机器具有超过50个量子位，门保真度远高于99%（包括初始化和测量误差），从而达到量子计算将挑战高性能经典计算机的状态。STAQ将研究几个量子算法家族，包括近似优化和变分算法、凝聚态物理模型的量子模拟、适用于核物理学的晶格规范理论问题的广泛类别，以及量子计算机认证标准。STAQ将吸引和教育广泛的用户、学生和其他对量子计算机科学和工程感兴趣的研究人员，并提供一个充满活力的访客计划，以刺激合作和新的应用探索领域。该项目推进了美国国家科学基金会量子信息科学与工程的目标，以响应国家量子倡议法案，使美国在量子信息系统及其技术应用方面继续处于领导地位。该奖项由数学与物理科学理事会物理系信息前沿项目物理系颁发，由计算机与信息科学与工程理事会计算与通信基础部联合支持。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Quantum computers hold great promise to catalyze a new era of computational power that will benefit all of society. However, quantum computer processing is based on radical laws of physics that have no analog in everyday life, making it a challenge to attract the needed technical workforce and user base. The NSF-STAQ program is a unique national quantum computer research activity that designs, runs, and optimizes quantum algorithms on programmable quantum computer systems in a university setting. STAQ quantum computers are designed and built in-house at Duke University, based on the mature and scalable platform of trapped atomic ions – individual atoms suspended above a chip with electromagnetic fields and controlled with laser beams. The Duke Quantum Center features several programmable quantum computer systems capable of running generic quantum circuits and applications. The STAQ team of 17 investigators from 8 institutions, including a core at Duke University, exercises complete control of all hardware and software layers. STAQ will bring together scientists, engineers, computer scientists, and application experts to hasten quantum computer advantage over conventional computers, while educating the public and bringing quantum computers to users who may not be familiar with quantum mechanics or its growing importance to society.Securing quantum advantage in computation will require a vertical “full stack” approach, integrating application and algorithmic development with software optimization and control down to the hardware level composed of controllable quantum systems typically expressed in terms of quantum bits (qubits). STAQ hardware is based on trapped atomic ions, owing to their high level of performance, reconfigurability, and software controllability, all designed and fabricated in STAQ facilities. However, the general approach to quantum computing in the STAQ program is expected to confer to other physical platforms. The STAQ program will co-design quantum algorithms to STAQ machines having more than 50 qubits and gate fidelities well above 99% (including initialization and measurement errors), thus reaching a regime where quantum computations will challenge high-performance classical computers. STAQ will pursue several families of quantum algorithms, including approximate optimization and variational algorithms, quantum simulations of physical models in condensed matter, broad classes of lattice gauge theory problems applicable to nuclear physics, and quantum computer certification standards. STAQ will engage and educate a broad base of users, students, and other researchers interested in quantum computer science and engineering, with a vibrant visitors program to stimulate collaborations and new areas of application exploration.This project advances the objectives of Quantum Information Science and Engineering at NSF in response to the National Quantum Initiative Act for the continued leadership of the United States in QIS and its technology applications.This award by the Physics at the Information Frontier program in the Division of Physics within the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences is jointly supported by the Division of Computing and Communication Foundations in the Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering.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.