Researchers at the California Institute of Technology have developed a quantum erasure device to correct “erasure” errors in quantum computing systems. The technique allows fluorescent error detection and correction by manipulating alkaline earth neutral atoms with laser light “tweezers.” This innovation leads to a 10-fold increase in the entanglement rate of Rydberg neutral atomic systems, and is an important step forward in making quantum computers more reliable and scalable.
For the first time, researchers have successfully demonstrated the identification and removal of “erasure” errors.
Future quantum computers are expected to revolutionize problem-solving in a variety of fields, including creating sustainable materials, developing new drugs, and solving complex problems in fundamental physics. However, these pioneering quantum systems are more error-prone than the classical computers we use today. Wouldn’t it be great if researchers could whip out a special quantum eraser and remove mistakes?
Report in magazine Nature, A group of researchers led by the California Institute of Technology has demonstrated for the first time a type of quantum erasure device. Physicists have shown that mistakes can be pinpointed and corrected. quantum computing A system known as an “erasure” error.
“Typically, it’s very difficult to detect errors in quantum computers, because just the act of looking for errors creates more errors,” said Manuel Endres, co-lead author of the new study and co-author of the study. says Adam Shaw, a graduate student in the room. Professor of Physics at California Institute of Technology. “However, we found that with careful control, certain errors can be precisely identified and erased without significant impact. This is where the name erasure comes from.”
How quantum computing works
Quantum computers are based on the physical laws that govern the subatomic realm, such as entanglement, a phenomenon in which particles mimic each other while remaining connected without direct contact. In the new study, researchers focused on a type of quantum computing platform that uses arrays of neutral atoms, or atoms that carry no electric charge. Specifically, they manipulated individual alkaline earth neutral atoms trapped inside “tweezers” made with laser light. The atoms are excited to a high-energy state, or “Rydberg” state, and neighboring atoms begin to interact.
Errors are typically difficult to spot in quantum devices, but researchers have shown that if carefully controlled, some errors can cause atoms to emit light. The researchers used this ability to perform quantum simulations using atomic arrays and laser beams, as shown in this artist’s concept. Experiments show that quantum simulations can be run more efficiently by discarding erroneous atoms that are glowing.Credit: Caltech/Lance Hayashida
“The atoms in our quantum systems interact with each other and generate entanglements,” said the study’s other co-lead author, a former postdoctoral fellow at the California Institute of Technology and now at a French quantum computing company. Pascal Scholl, who works at PASQAL, explains.
Entanglement is what allows quantum computers to outperform classical computers. “But nature doesn’t like to stay in this entangled state,” Scholl explains. “Eventually an error will occur and the entire quantum state will be destroyed. You can think of these entangled states like a basket full of apples, where the atoms are the apples. Over time , some apples will start to rot. If you don’t remove these apples from the basket and replace them with fresh apples, all the apples will quickly rot. It’s not clear how to completely prevent these errors from occurring. Therefore, the only viable option at this time is to detect and remediate them.”
Innovation in error detection and correction
The new error-trapping system is designed so that atoms with errors fluoresce, or glow, when hit by a laser. “We have images of glowing atoms that show us where the errors are, so we can either exclude them from the final statistics or actively correct them by applying additional laser pulses.” says Scholl.
Implementation theory of erasure detection in neutral atom The system was first developed by Jeff Thompson, a professor of electrical and computer engineering. princeton university, and his colleagues.The team recently reported a demonstration of the technique in the journal Nature.
The Caltech team says that by removing and identifying errors in the Rydberg atomic system, the overall rate of entanglement, and therefore fidelity, can be improved. In the new study, the researchers report that only one out of every 1,000 pairs of atoms failed to entangle. This is a 10-fold improvement over what was previously achieved and the highest entanglement rate ever observed for this type of system.
Ultimately, these results bode well for quantum computing platforms that use Rydberg neutral atomic arrays. “Neutral atoms are the most scalable type of quantum computer, but until now they have not had the high degree of entanglement fidelity,” Shaw says.
References: “Elimination Transformations in High-Fidelity Rydberg Quantum Simulators” Pascal Scholl, Adam L. Shaw, Richard Bing-Shiun Tsai, Ran Finkelstein, Joonhee Choi, Manuel Endres, October 11, 2023. Nature.
DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06516-4
The research was funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) through the Institute for Quantum Information and Materials (IQIM), based at the California Institute of Technology. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. NSF Career Award. Air Force Office of Scientific Research. NSF Quantum Leap Challenge Laboratory. Department of Energy’s Quantum Systems Accelerator. Fellowships in Taiwan and California Institute of Technology. and a Troesch Postdoctoral Fellowship. Other Caltech-related authors include graduate student Richard Bing-Shiun Tsai; Ran Finkelstein, Troesch Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Physics. Former postdoc Joonhee Choi is now a professor at Stanford University.
Source: scitechdaily.com
