Measurement and mitigation of metrology/starlight static beam shear error in the MAM testbed interferometer
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This viewgraph presentation reviews the basics of single event upset mitigation, triple-module redundancy (TMR), new "fitting" equation for TMR, and examples of application to real data.
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Most businesses recognize that people will make mistakes and assume errors are just part of the cost of doing business, but does it need to be? Companies with high risk, or major consequences, should consider the effect of human error. In a variety of industries, Human Errors have caused costly failures and workplace injuries. These have included: airline mishaps, medical malpractice, administration of medication and major oil spills have all been blamed on human error. A technique to mitigate or even eliminate some of these costly human errors is the use of Human Reliability Analysis (HRA). Various methodologies are available to perform Human Reliability Assessments that range from identifying the most likely areas for concern to detailed assessments with human error failure probabilities calculated. Which methodology to use would be based on a variety of factors that would include: 1) how people react and act in different industries, and differing expectations based on industries standards, 2) factors that influence how the human errors could occur such as tasks, tools, environment, workplace, support, training and procedure, 3) type and availability of data and 4) how the industry views risk & reliability influences ( types of emergencies, contingencies and routine tasks versus cost based concerns). The Human Reliability Assessments should be the first step to reduce, mitigate or eliminate the costly mistakes or catastrophic failures. Using Human Reliability techniques to identify and classify human error risks allows a company more opportunities to mitigate or eliminate these risks and prevent costly failures.
High-coherence superconducting cavities offer a hardware-efficient platform for quantum information processing. To achieve universal operations of these bosonic modes, the requisite nonlinearity is realized by coupling them to a transmon ancilla. However, this configuration is susceptible to crosstalk errors in the dispersive regime, where the ancilla frequency is Stark shifted by the state of each coupled bosonic mode. This leads to a frequency mismatch of the ancilla drive, lowering the gate fidelities. To mitigate such coherent errors, we employ quantum optimal control to engineer ancilla pulses that are robust to the frequency shifts. These optimized pulses are subsequently integrated into a recently developed echoed conditional displacement protocol for executing single- and two-mode operations. Through numerical simulations, we examine two representative scenarios: the preparation of single-mode Fock states in the presence of spectator modes and the generation of two-mode entangled Bell-cat states. Our approach markedly suppresses crosstalk errors, outperforming conventional ancilla control methods by orders of magnitude. These results provide guidance for experimentally achieving high-fidelity multimode operations and pave the way for developing high-performance bosonic quantum information processors.
We provide a polynomial-time classical algorithm for noisy quantum circuits. The algorithm computes the expectation value of any observable for any circuit, with a small average error over input states drawn from an ensemble (e.g., the computational basis). Our approach is based upon the intuition that noise exponentially damps nonlocal correlations relative to local correlations. This enables one to classically simulate a noisy quantum circuit by keeping track of only the dynamics of local quantum information. Our algorithm also enables sampling from the output distribution of a circuit in quasipolynomial time, so long as the distribution anticoncentrates. A number of implications are discussed, including a fundamental limit on the efficacy of noise mitigation strategies: For constant noise rates, any quantum circuit for which error mitigation succeeds in polynomial-time on most input states can also be classically simulated in polynomial-time on most input states. Our algorithms scale exponentially in the inverse noise rate, which is fundamental and makes them impractical for current quantum devices.
Quantum information transport over micron to millimeter scale distances is critical for the operation of practical quantum processors based on spin qubits. One method of achieving a long-range interaction is by coherent electron spin shuttling through an array of silicon quantum dots. In order to execute many shuttling operations with high fidelity, it is essential to understand the dynamics of qubit dephasing and relaxation during the shuttling process in order to mitigate them. However, errors arising after many repeated shuttles are not yet well documented. Here, we probe decay dynamics contributing to dephasing and relaxation of a singlet-triplet qubit during coherent spin shuttling over many N repeated shuttle operations, in a small external magnetic field B 0 ≈ 0−10 mT, and in the absence of a micromagnet. We find that losses are dominated by magnetic dephasing, most visible for small N < 10 3 . However, incoherent spin-flip type shuttle errors become evident for large N > 10 3 . Additionally, we estimate shuttle error rates below 10 −4 out to at least N = 10 3 , representing an encouraging figure for future implementations of spin shuttling to entangle distant qubits.
The Flexible Thermal Protection System (FTPS) on NASA’s Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) vehicle was instrumented with thermocouples (TC) to measure the in-depth thermal response during entry into Earth’s atmosphere. Accurate flight temperature measurements are critical for verifying vehicle performance during the flight test and reducing uncertainties in the thermal models. The deployable nature of inflatable decelerator technology presents challenges, namely the TCs need to be compactable, cannot damage the FTPS nor the inflatable structure, and need to be able to withstand high temperatures and large thermal gradients over significant running lengths. As previously reported, an extensive ground-test campaign was conducted prior to flight to inform the selection of the LOFTID FTPS TCs which minimized all known potential error sources. Overall, the resulting flight FTPS TC measurements were exceptionally clean throughout the atmospheric entry heat pulse. However, a few of the FTPS TCs still exhibited electrical shorting or other anomalous behavior. This paper presents the flight measurements made by the LOFTID FTPS TCs, identifies anomalous behavior, and discusses potential explanations for the causes of the anomalous behavior. Lastly, recommendations to further mitigate TC measurement error on future Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator (HIAD) missions are provided.
Quantum error correction works effectively only if the error rate of gate operations is sufficiently low. However, some rare physical mechanisms can cause a temporary increase in the error rate that affects many qubits; examples include ionizing radiation in superconducting hardware and large deviations in the global control of atomic systems. We refer to such rare transient spikes in the gate error rate as error bursts. In this work, we investigate the resilience of the rotated surface code to generic error bursts. We assume that, after appropriate mitigation strategies, the spike in the error rate lasts for only a single syndrome-extraction cycle; we also assume that the enhanced error rate is uniform across the code block. Under these assumptions, and for a circuit-level depolarizing noise model, we perform Monte Carlo simulations to determine the regime in burst error rate and background error rate for which the memory time becomes arbitrarily long as the code block size grows. Our results indicate that suitable hardware mitigation methods combined with standard decoding methods may suffice to protect against transient error bursts in the rotated surface code.
The effort to understand the Earth's climate system requires a complete integration of remote sensing imager data across time and multiple countries. Such an integration necessarily requires ensuring inter-consistency between multiple sensors to create the data sets needed to understand the climate system. Past efforts at inter-consistency have forced agreement between two sensors using sources that are viewed by both sensors at nearly the same time, and thus tend to be near polar regions over snow and ice. The current work describes a method that would provide an absolute radiometric calibration of a sensor rather than an inter-consistency of a sensor relative to another. The approach also relies on defensible error budgets that eventually provides a cross comparison of sensors without systematic errors. The basis of the technique is a model-based, SI-traceable prediction of at-sensor radiance over selected sites. The predicted radiance would be valid for arbitrary view and illumination angles and for any date of interest that is dominated by clear-sky conditions. The effort effectively works to characterize the sites as sources with known top-of-atmosphere radiance allowing accurate intercomparison of sensor data that without the need for coincident views. Data from the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection and Radiometer (ASTER), Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+), and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) are used to demonstrate the difficulties of cross calibration as applied to current sensors. Special attention is given to the differences caused in the cross-comparison of sensors in radiance space as opposed to reflectance space. The radiance comparisons lead to significant differences created by the specific solar model used for each sensor. The paper also proposes methods to mitigate the largest error sources in future systems. The results from these historical intercomparisons provide the basis for a set of recommendations to ensure future SI-traceable cross calibration using future missions such as CLARREO and TRUTHS. The paper describes a proposed approach that relies on model-based, SI-traceable predictions of at-sensor radiance over selected sites. The predicted radiance would be valid for arbitrary view and illumination angles and for any date of interest that is dominated by clear-sky conditions. The basis of the method is highly accurate measurements of at-sensor radiance of sufficient quality to understand the spectral and BRDF characteristics of the site and sufficient historical data to develop an understanding of temporal effects from changing surface and atmospheric conditions.
The development of quantum processors for practical fluid flow problems is a promising yet distant goal. Recent advances in quantum linear solvers have highlighted their potential for classical fluid dynamics. In this study, we evaluate the Harrow–Hassidim–Lloyd (HHL) quantum linear systems algorithm (QLSA) for solving the idealized Hele–Shaw flow. Our focus is on the accuracy and computational cost of the HHL solver, which we find to be sensitive to the condition number, scaling exponentially with problem size. This emphasizes the need for preconditioning to enhance the practical use of QLSAs in fluid flow applications. Moreover, we perform shots-based simulations on quantum simulators and test the HHL solver on superconducting quantum devices, where noise, large circuit depths, and gate errors limit performance. Error suppression and mitigation techniques improve accuracy, suggesting that such fluid flow problems can benchmark noise mitigation efforts. Finally, our findings provide a foundation for future, more complex application of QLSAs in fluid flow simulations.
Dichroic X-ray tomography is a technique in which the crystal orientation or magnetization of a sample is resolved in three dimensions. The best-known uses of this technique are for observation of magnetic moments via circular dichroism, using left- and right-handed circularly polarized X-ray beams. Another variant uses linear dichroism to resolve the crystal orientation. In both these techniques, it is assumed that the absorption of X-rays along a path inside a material can be computed as a line integral of a local absorption coefficient along the ray path. For linear dichroism, this assumption is inaccurate because the polarization of the beam changes along the propagation direction when the optic axis of the material is not aligned along the polarization. In this work, a finite-element Maxwell solver is used to simulate tomography and reconstructions. The propagation effect can lead to significant errors in the reconstructed orientations. These errors may be mitigated by taking data at additional angles or by operating at energies at which the dichroism is weak. An iterative approach is proposed which may allow accurate reconstruction with fewer data than would otherwise be required.
Griffin, a MOOSE-based reactor multiphysics code jointly developed by Idaho National Laboratory and Argonne National Laboratory under the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy’s NEAMS program, has pursued the development of an online multigroup cross section generation capability for a few years to enable high-fidelity, problem-dependent neutronics analyses of advanced thermal reactors. Recent advancements in Griffin’s online multigroup cross section generation capability have significantly improved the accuracy, robustness, and efficiency of self-shielding calculations for both prismatic and pebble-bed TRISO-fueled reactor applications. Key developments include a unified fuel self-shielding method applicable to both TRISO and annular compact/spherical shell fuel zone geometries; an advanced Dancoff Category-based Equivalence Theory using a bell function for non-fuel resonance treatment, achieving more than an order-of-magnitude speedup compared to the Tone method; an on-the-fly multigroup equivalence approach to mitigate group condensation errors; and a streaming correction method for pebble-bed homogenization. A proof-of-concept demonstration of on-the-fly group condensation with consistent P0 transport correction was also achieved. The method reproduced direct fine-group solutions with excellent accuracy (eigenvalue errors within 10 pcm and pin-power differences within 0.5%), but due to performance limitations of the current fixed-source solver, improvements to solver efficiency will be addressed in future work. Verification tests were performed on graphite-moderated TRISO-fueled two-dimensional core benchmark problems representing gas-cooled microreactors, heat pipe-cooled microreactors, gas-cooled pebble-bed reactors, and fluoride salt-cooled high-temperature reactors. Across all cases, Griffin showed excellent agreement with Serpent2 continuous energy Monte Carlo solutions: eigenvalue errors within 200 pcm, pin-power root-mean-square errors within 2%, and control rod and drum worth errors less than 2%. It should be noted that, for the benchmark problem, cross section generation contributed less than 3% of the total simulation times. These results demonstrate that Griffin’s online cross section generation capability delivers accurate and efficient reactor physics solutions across a wide spectrum of TRISO-fueled advanced reactor designs. With further improvements to the fine-group fixed-source solver and planned extensions to depletion, transients, and coupled neutron–gamma transport, Griffin will be well-positioned to become a powerful and comprehensive tool for advanced reactor analysis.
We present measurements of large-scale cosmic microwave background E-mode polarization from the Cosmology Large Angular Scale Surveyor 90 GHz data. Using 115 det-yr of observations collected through 2024 with a variable-delay polarization modulator, we achieved a polarization sensitivity of 82 μK arcimin, comparable to Planck at similar frequencies (100 and 143 GHz ). The analysis demonstrates effective mitigation of systematic errors and addresses challenges to large-angular-scale power recovery posed by time-domain filtering in maximum-likelihood map-making. A novel implementation of the pixel-space transfer matrix is introduced, which enables efficient filtering simulations and bias correction in the power spectrum using the quadratic cross-spectrum estimator. Overall, we achieved an unbiased time-domain filtering correction to recover the largest angular scale polarization, with the only power deficit, arising from map-making nonlinearity, being characterized as <3%. Through cross-correlation with Planck, we detected the cosmic reionization at 99.4% significance and measured the reionization optical depth τ = $0.053^{+0.018}_{-0.019}$, marking the first ground-based attempt at such a measurement. At intermediate angular scales (ℓ > 30), our results, both independently and in cross-correlation with Planck, remain fully consistent with Planck’s measurements.
POINTS (Precision Optical INTerferometer in Space) would perform microarcsecond optical astrometric measurements from space, yielding submicroarcsecond astrometric results from the mission. It comprises a pair of independent Michelson stellar interferometers and a laser metrology system that measures both the critical starlight paths and the angle between the baselines. The instrument has two baselines of 2 m, each with two subapertures of 35 cm; by articulating the angle between the baselines, it observes targets separated by 87 to 93 deg. POINTS does global astrometry, i.e., it measures widely separated targets, which yields closure calibration, numerous bright reference stars, and absolute parallax. Simplicity, stability, and the mitigation of systematic error are the central design themes. The instrument has only three moving-part mechanisms, and only one of these must move with sub-milliradian precision; the other two can tolerate a precision of several tenths of a degree. Optical surfaces preceding the beamsplitter or its fold flat are interferometrically critical; on each side of the interferometer, there are only three such. Thus, light loss and wavefront distortion are minimized. POINTS represents a minimalistic design developed ab initio for space. Since it is intended for astrometry, and therefore does not require the u-v-plane coverage of an imaging, instrument, each interferometer need have only two subapertures. The design relies on articulation of the angle between the interferometers and body pointing to select targets; the observations are restricted to the 'instrument plane.' That plane, which is fixed in the pointed instrument, is defined by the sensitive direction for the two interferometers. Thus, there is no need for siderostats and moving delay lines, which would have added many precision mechanisms with rolling and sliding parts that would be required to function throughout the mission. Further, there is no need for a third interferometer, as is required when out-of-plane observations are made. An instrument for astrometry, unlike those for imaging, can be compact and yet scientifically productive. The POINTS instrument is compact and therefore requires no deployment of precision structures, has no low-frequency (i.e., under 100 Hz) vibration modes, and is relatively easy to control thermally. Because of its small size and mass, it is easily and quickly repointed between observations. Further, because of the low mass, it can be economically launched into high Earth orbit which, in conjunction with a solar shield, yields nearly unrestricted sky coverage and a stable thermal environment.
This paper evaluates the performance that can be achieved using candidate ground and onboard navigation approaches for operation of the James Webb Space Telescope, which will be in an orbit about the Sun-Earth L2 libration point. The ground navigation approach processes standard range and Doppler measurements from the Deep Space Network The onboard navigation approach processes celestial object measurements and/or ground-to- spacecraft Doppler measurements to autonomously estimate the spacecraft s position and velocity and Doppler reference frequency. Particular attention is given to assessing the absolute position and velocity accuracy that can be achieved in the presence of the frequent spacecraft reorientations and momentum unloads planned for this mission. The ground navigation approach provides stable navigation solutions using a tracking schedule of one 30-minute contact per day. The onboard navigation approach that uses only optical quality celestial object measurements provides stable autonomous navigation solutions. This study indicates that unmodeled changes in the solar radiation pressure cross-sectional area and modeled momentum unload velocity changes are the major error sources. These errors can be mitigated by modeling these changes, by estimating corrections to compensate for the changes, or by including acceleration measurements.
The radar return powers from a three-frequency radar, with center frequency at 22.235 GHz and upper and lower frequencies chosen with equal water vapor absorption coefficients, can be used to estimate water vapor density and parameters of the precipitation. A linear combination of differential measurements between the center and lower frequencies on one hand and the upper and lower frequencies on the other provide an estimate of differential water vapor absorption. The coupling between the precipitation and water vapor estimates is generally weak but increases with bandwidth and the amount of non-Rayleigh scattering of the hydrometeors. The coupling leads to biases in the estimates of water vapor absorption that are related primarily to the phase state and the median mass diameter of the hydrometeors. For a down-looking radar, path-averaged estimates of water vapor absorption are possible under rain-free as well as raining conditions by using the surface returns at the three frequencies. Simulations of the water vapor attenuation retrieval show that the largest source of error typically arises from the variance in the measured radar return powers. Although the error can be mitigated by a combination of a high pulse repetition frequency, pulse compression, and averaging in range and time, the radar receiver must be stable over the averaging period. For fractional bandwidths of 20% or less, the potential exists for simultaneous measurements at the three frequencies with a single antenna and transceiver, thereby significantly reducing the cost and mass of the system.
The future deep space links are migrating towards higher frequency bands such as Ka band and optical. These links are susceptible to non Gaussian and non linear effects such as atmospheric turbulence, scintillation, antenna mis-pointing, jitter, etc. These dynamic links thus will experience various degrees of fading loss, and some of these link disruptions cannot be effectively mitigated by forward error correction coding and/or interleaving. One effective way to ensure reliable communication is by using Automatic Repeat Request (ARQ) protocol, where the receiver acknowledges to the transmitter whether or not a data unit is successfully received. If a data unit is not successfully received (such as after a pre-set time-out), the transmitter would then re-transmit the lost data unit to the receiver. In a previous paper, we derived a statistical link analysis method of finding the optimal operating Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) and estimating the latency of an ARQ scheme. In a more recent paper, we demonstrated the above method using the SNR distribution constructed from the Ka-band (32 GHz) flight data. To simplify the discussion, we considered the academic approach that the ARQ scheme allows for an infinite number of retransmissions. In this paper, we consider the more practical case of a truncated ARQ scheme, where there is a limit on the number of retransmissions. We derive the error probability, the optimal SNR setting, and the latency statistics of the correctly received frames of the truncated ARQ schemes. We first discuss the truncated ARQ link analysis principles using the Gaussian assumption for SNR distribution with a large variance. Next, we demonstrate the statistical truncated ARQ link analysis using the SNR distribution constructed from the Ka-band flight data. The results in this paper can be applied in the design of reliable communication systems such as the Consultative Committee for Space Data System (CCSDS) File Transfer Protocol (CFTP) and the Delay Tolerant Network (DTN).