Quantum Software and Algorithms

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Quantum computing is an interdisciplinary field that is developing a new type of computing device based on a quantum system called a qubit. Simulating chemical reactions, searching unstructured spaces, and optimizing large-scale industrial processes are all problems that are intractable for regular computers to solve at a large scale, but are promising applications of quantum computers (QCs). Over the past decade, massive progress has been made in the field, with billions of dollars invested in the area by governments, multinational companies, and the startup industry. We now have QCs with over 100 usable qubits, which is a significant development, but still far from the thousands to millions needed to accurately solve life-sized, real-world problems. Building QCs is a major engineering challenge; building high-quality ones in a scalable manner even more so. Today's QCs have been termed "noisy, intermediate-scale quantum" devices due to their limited processing power and the non-trivial amount of noise that occurs during computation. Qubits are extremely sensitive to external effects, and until more precise control becomes possible, and measures such as large-scale error-correction can be implemented, it is critical that our algorithms are designed to make the best use of today's devices despite the presence of noise. The aims of this CRC research program are to design, implement, and apply new software and methods that enable us to better characterize, mitigate, and adapt to noise in QCs.The program has three objectives. The first is to develop and implement effective noise-aware quantum compilation techniques that will inform us how to program and run algorithms on hardware to obtain the best possible results. The second is to create advanced, adaptive methods for quantum tomography to better characterize device noise and facilitate the engineering of cutting-edge quantum hardware. The final objective is to put into practice the outcomes of the first two, and develop robust quantum algorithms for current-generation quantum hardware that can solve meaningful problems even in a noisy environment. These algorithms will then be tested on the novel devices being developed at UBC. Together, these methods will enable us to use the QCs built over the next decade to their fullest potential, establish a valuable cycle of quantum software-hardware co-design in the Canadian ecosystem, and pave the way for future generations of hardware.