Imperfect quantum technology: Exploiting 1st generation computers

不完美的量子技术：利用第一代计算机

• 批准号: 2283428
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: University of Oxford
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2019 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2283428
• 关键词: Imperfect; quantum; technology; Exploiting; 1st

This theory project will use both analytic techniques and conventional supercomputers to predict the behaviour of 1st generation quantum computers including their limitations and flaws. A current focus is to identify applications, such as novel materials and chemistry discovery, which may be able to run successfully on a near-term quantum computer despite its imperfections. This is a timely topic: If we are to make use of the computers that emerge in the next few years (such as Google's "quantum supremacy" device) we need to map the detailed architectures and error models to the desired application through error mitigation protocols. This project therefore falls within the EPSRC quantum technologies research area.Precursor research to this project is described in the online manuscripts at the arxiv.org site as follows: arXiv:1808.03623, arXiv:1807.04973, arXiv:1807.02467, arXiv:1806.05707, arXiv:1804.03023, and arXiv:1802.08032. The novel techniques here include the "imaginary time variational technique" which the host group has pioneered. This is a method according to which the (more conventional) gradient vector for an energy-landscape-descent problem is adjusted to allow for the relationship between the parameter space and the problem space, i.e. Hilbert space. Prior work has indicated that this method, while seeming at first to be more computationally costly, is in fact more efficient since it is less prone to local minimum traps and related issues. The new project would be a continuation of this work, and would involve both analytic and numerical research and liaising with various experimental group within and outside of Oxford. A primary early focus will be on error mitigation, as per e.g. arXiv:1807.02467. Both the "extrapolation" and the "quasi-probability" technique will be investigated, initially with a view to assessing the impact of non-Markovian errors i.e. errors which are correlated in time, or space, or both. This is a crucial issue since such errors are common in reality but often overlooked in prior theoretical studies.Resources available to the project include the Oxford ARC (Advanced Research Computing) facility and specifically the ~£1M cluster of compute and GPU nodes that have been acquired as part of the NQIT hub and will be acquired as part of the new Hub in Quantum Computing and Simulation. Primary support will come from Prof. Simon Benjamin (Oxford) and the host group includes 10 individuals working in related areas including postdoc Dr Balint Koczor at Oxford.There is no specific industry commitment for this project, but BP (who have supported a 1-year PDRA in the area) have indicated that they would be interested in opportunities to provide support to student(s) working on a project such as this. Also it is likely that the project will involve use of IBM's prototype hardware, which group members have privileged access to due to Oxford's membership of the IBM-Q organisation.

这个理论项目将使用分析技术和传统的超级计算机来预测第一代量子计算机的行为，包括它们的局限性和缺陷。目前的重点是确定应用程序，例如新材料和化学发现，这些应用程序可能能够在近期的量子计算机上成功运行，尽管它存在缺陷。这是一个及时的主题：如果我们要利用未来几年出现的计算机（例如b谷歌的“量子霸权”设备），我们需要通过错误缓解协议将详细的架构和错误模型映射到所需的应用程序。因此，该项目属于EPSRC量子技术研究领域。本课题前期研究在arxiv.org网站的在线稿件中描述如下：arXiv:1808.03623、arXiv:1807.04973、arXiv:1807.02467、arXiv:1806.05707、arXiv:1804.03023、arXiv:1802.08032。这里的新技术包括主机组首创的“虚时变分技术”。这是一种方法，根据（更传统的）梯度向量的能量-景观下降问题进行调整，以允许参数空间和问题空间之间的关系，即希尔伯特空间。先前的工作表明，这种方法虽然乍一看计算成本更高，但实际上效率更高，因为它不容易出现局部最小陷阱和相关问题。新项目将是这项工作的延续，将涉及分析和数值研究，并与牛津大学内外的各种实验小组保持联系。早期的主要重点将放在减少错误上，例如arXiv:1807.02467。“外推”和“准概率”技术都将被研究，最初的目的是评估非马尔可夫误差的影响，即在时间或空间上相关的误差，或两者兼而有之。这是一个至关重要的问题，因为这种错误在现实中很常见，但在以前的理论研究中往往被忽视。该项目可用的资源包括牛津ARC（高级研究计算）设施，特别是价值约100万英镑的计算和GPU节点集群，该集群已作为NQIT中心的一部分获得，并将作为新的量子计算和模拟中心的一部分获得。主要支持将由Simon Benjamin教授（牛津大学）提供，主持小组包括10名在相关领域工作的个人，包括牛津大学的博士后Balint Koczor博士。该项目没有具体的行业承诺，但BP（已经在该地区支持了为期一年的PDRA）表示，他们有兴趣为从事此类项目的学生提供支持。此外，该项目很可能涉及使用IBM的原型硬件，由于牛津大学是IBM- q组织的成员，因此小组成员有特权访问这些硬件。