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Results for “Quantum noise theory”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 19 records

First-order crosstalk mitigation in parallel quantum gates driven with multi-photon transitions

Here, we demonstrate an order of magnitude reduction in the sensitivity to optical crosstalk for neighboring trapped-ion qubits during simultaneous single-qubit gates driven with individual addressing beams. Gates are implemented via two-photon Raman transitions, where crosstalk is mitigated by offsetting the drive frequencies for each qubit to avoid first-order crosstalk effects from inter-beam two-photon resonance. The technique is simple to implement, and we find that phase-dependent crosstalk due to optical interference is reduced on the most impacted neighbor from a maximal fractional rotation error of 0.185(4) without crosstalk mitigation to ≤0.006 with the mitigation strategy. Furthermore, we characterize first-order crosstalk in the two-qubit gate and avoid the resulting rotation errors for the arbitrary-axis Mølmer–Sørensen gate via a phase-agnostic composite gate. Finally, we demonstrate holistic system performance by constructing a composite CNOT gate using the improved single-qubit gates and phase-agnostic two-qubit gate. This work is done on the Quantum Scientific Computing Open User Testbed; however, our methods are widely applicable for individual addressing Raman gates and impose no significant overhead, enabling immediate improvement for quantum processors that incorporate this technique.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Quantum Langevin theory for two coupled phase-conjugated electromagnetic waves

We provide a general macroscopic phenomenological formula of quantum Langevin equations for two coupled phase-conjugated electromagnetic fields with linear loss (gain) and complex nonlinear coupling coefficient. The macroscopic phenomenological formula is obtained from the coupling matrix to preserve the field commutation relations and correlations, which does not require knowing the microscopic details of light-matter interaction and internal atomic structures. To validate this phenomenological formula, we take spontaneous four-wave mixing in a double-Λ four-level atomic system as an example to numerically confirm that our macroscopic phenomenological result is consistent with that obtained from the microscopic Heisenberg-Langevin theory. We find that a complex-valued nonlinear coupling coefficient can lead to noises even without linear gain or loss. Lastly, we apply the quantum Langevin equations to study the effects of linear gain and loss, complex phase mismatching, as well as complex nonlinear coupling coefficient in entangled photon pair (biphoton) generation, particularly to their temporal quantum correlations.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Noise effects on Padé approximants and conformal maps

Here, we analyze the properties of Padé and conformal map approximants for functions with branch points, in the situation where the expansion coefficients are only known with finite precision or are subject to noise. We prove that there is a universal scaling relation between the strength of the noise and the expansion order at which Padé or the conformal map breaks down. We illustrate this behavior with some physically relevant model test functions and with two non-trivial physical examples where the relevant Riemann surface has complicated structure.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Robustness of Gauge Digitization to Quantum Noise

Quantum noise limits the use of quantum memory in high energy physics simulations. In particular, it breaks the gauge symmetry of stored quantum states. We examine this effect for abelian and nonabelian theories and demonstrate that optimizing the digitization of gauge theories to quantum memory to account for noise channels can extend the lifetime before complete loss of gauge symmetry by $2-10\times$ over some other digitizations. These constructions also allow for quantum error correction to integrate the symmetries of quantum fields and prioritize the largest gauge violations.

Gustafson, Erik J.↗

Interplay between charge and spin noise in the near-surface theory of decoherence and relaxation of C 3 v symmetry qutrit spin-1 centers

Decoherence and relaxation of solid-state defect qutrits near a crystal surface, where they are commonly used as quantum sensors, originate from charge and magnetic field noise. A complete theory requires a formalism for decoherence and relaxation that includes all Hamiltonian terms allowed by the defect's point-group symmetry. This formalism, presented here for the C 3 v symmetry of a spin-1 defect in a diamond, silicon carbide, or similar host, relies on a Lindblad dynamical equation and clarifies the relative contributions of charge and spin noise to relaxation and decoherence, along with their dependence on the defect spin's depth and resonant frequencies. The calculations agree with the experimental measurements of Sangtawesin [], and corroborate the importance of charge noise. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Materials Science↗

Noise limits for dc SQUID readout of high- Q resonators below 300 MHz

We present the limits on noise for the readout of cryogenic high-Q resonators using dc Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices (SQUIDs) below 300 MHz. This analysis uses realized first-stage SQUIDs (previously published), whose performance is well described by Tesche–Clarke (TC) theory, coupled directly to the resonators. We also present data from a prototype second-stage dc SQUID array designed to couple to this first-stage SQUID as a follow-on amplifier with high system bandwidth. This analysis is the first full consideration of dc SQUID noise performance referred to a high-Q resonator over this frequency range and is presented relative to the standard quantum limit. We include imprecision, backaction, and backaction–imprecision noise correlations from TC theory, the noise contributed by the second-stage SQUIDs, wiring, and preamplifiers, and optimizations for both on-resonance measurements and off-resonance scan sensitivity. This architecture has modern relevance due to the increased interest in axion searches and the requirements of the DMRadio-m 3 axion search, which uses dc SQUIDs in this frequency range.

Bosons↗

Efficacious Qubit Mappings for Quantum Simulations of the 12 C Rotational Band

Solving atomic nuclei from first principles places enormous demands on computational resources, which grow exponentially with increasing number of particles and the size of the space they occupy. We present first quantum simulations based on the variational quantum eigensolver for the low-lying structure of the 12C nucleus that provide acceptable bound-state energies even in the presence of noise. Here, we achieve this by taking advantage of two critical developments. First, we utilize an almost perfect symmetry of atomic nuclei that, in a complete symmetry-adapted basis, drastically reduces the size of the model space. Second, we use the efficacious Gray encoding, for which it has been recently shown that it is resource efficient, especially when coupled with a near band-diagonal structure of the nuclear Hamiltonian.

Encoding↗

Fine structure of current noise spectra in nanoelectromechanical resonators

Here, we study the frequency-dependent noise of a suspended carbon nanotube quantum dot nanoelectromechanical resonator induced by electron-vibration coupling. Using a rigorous Keldysh diagrammatic technique, we establish a formal framework connecting the vibrational properties to electrical measurements. We find that the noise power spectrum exhibits a narrow resonant peak at the frequency of the vibrational modes. However, this fine structure tends to disappear due to a coherent cancellation effect when the tunneling barriers are tuned to a symmetric point. Notably, measuring the electrical current noise spectra provides a sensitive alternative method for detecting the damping and dephasing of quantum vibrational modes.

Electric measurements↗

Mitigating Green's function Monte Carlo signal-to-noise problems using contour deformations

The Green's function Monte Carlo (GFMC) method provides accurate solutions to the nuclear many-body problem and predicts properties of light nuclei starting from realistic two- and three-body interactions. Controlling the GFMC fermion sign problem is crucial, as the signal-to-noise ratio decreases exponentially with imaginary time, requiring significant computing resources. Inspired by similar scenarios in lattice quantum field theory and spin systems, in this work, we employ integration contour deformations to improve the GFMC signal-to-noise ratio. Machine learning techniques are used to select optimal contours with minimal variance from parametrized families of deformations. As a proof of principle, we consider the deuteron binding energies and Euclidean density response functions. Here, we only observe mild signal-to-noise improvement for the binding energy case. On the other hand, we achieve an order of magnitude reduction of the variance for Euclidean density response functions, paving the way for computing electron- and neutrino-nucleus cross sections of larger nuclei.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Mitigating Green's function Monte Carlo signal-to-noise problems using contour deformations

The Green's function Monte Carlo (GFMC) method provides accurate solutions to the nuclear many-body problem and predicts properties of light nuclei starting from realistic two- and three-body interactions. Controlling the GFMC fermion-sign problem is crucial, as the signal-to-noise ratio decreases exponentially with Euclidean time, requiring significant computing resources. Inspired by similar scenarios in lattice quantum field theory and spin systems, in this work, we employ integration contour deformations to improve the GFMC signal-to-noise ratio. Machine learning techniques are used to select optimal contours with minimal variance from parameterized families of deformations. As a proof of principle, we consider the deuteron binding energies and Euclidean density response functions. We only observe mild signal-to-noise improvement for the binding energy case. On the other hand, we achieve an order of magnitude reduction of the variance for Euclidean density response functions, paving the way for computing electron- and neutrino-nucleus cross-sections of larger nuclei.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

A Lie algebraic theory of barren plateaus for deep parameterized quantum circuits

Variational quantum computing schemes train a loss function by sending an initial state through a parametrized quantum circuit, and measuring the expectation value of some operator. Despite their promise, the trainability of these algorithms is hindered by barren plateaus (BPs) induced by the expressiveness of the circuit, the entanglement of the input data, the locality of the observable, or the presence of noise. Up to this point, these sources of BPs have been regarded as independent. In this work, we present a general Lie algebraic theory that provides an exact expression for the variance of the loss function of sufficiently deep parametrized quantum circuits, even in the presence of certain noise models. Our results allow us to understand under one framework all aforementioned sources of BPs. This theoretical leap resolves a standing conjecture about a connection between loss concentration and the dimension of the Lie algebra of the circuit’s generators.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Quantum error mitigation for Fourier moment computation

Hamiltonian moments in Fourier space—expectation values of the unitary evolution operator under a Hamiltonian at different times—provide a convenient framework to understand quantum systems. They offer insights into the energy distribution, higher-order dynamics, response functions, correlation information, and physical properties. This paper focuses on the computation of Fourier moments within the context of a nuclear effective field theory on superconducting quantum hardware. The study integrates echo verification and noise renormalization into Hadamard tests using control reversal gates. These techniques, combined with purification and error suppression methods, effectively address quantum hardware decoherence. The analysis, conducted using noise models, reveals a significant reduction in noise strength by two orders of magnitude. Moreover, quantum circuits involving up to 266 gates over five qubits demonstrate high accuracy under these methodologies when run on IBM superconducting quantum devices. Published by the American Physical Society 2025

Kiss, Oriel (ORCID:0000000174613342)↗

Anticipating decoherence in quantum systems

Large-scale quantum technologies require coherence across distant nodes, necessitating indistinguishable quantum states. However, environmental disorder, including dephasing, spectral diffusion, and spin-bath interactions, undermines coherence. Using statistical methods, we uncover correlations in decoherence channels induced by slowly varying environments. Spectral diffusion serves as a representative demonstration case that can be extended to other remote, disordered systems such as spins in nitrogen-vacancy centers and quantum-dot spin qubits, as well as flux noise in superconducting qubits. In this work, we employ replica-theory-inspired trajectory analysis to reveal predictable temporal structures in decoherence dynamics, and validate these through an anticipatory systems framework with internal prediction of unseen spectral dynamics in multiple quantum systems, showing that this framework could, if implemented, reduce spectral shift by average factors of approximately 2 to 19, depending on emitter stability, thereby enabling enhanced coherence and multi-node synchronization for scalable quantum communication, computation, imaging, and sensing.

Maan, Pranshu [Purdue University]↗

Hydrodynamic theory of scrambling in chaotic long-range interacting systems

The Fisher-Kolmogorov-Petrovsky-Piskunov (FKPP) equation provides a mean-field theory of out-of-time-ordered commutators in locally interacting quantum chaotic systems at high energy density. In systems with power-law interactions, the corresponding fractional-derivative FKPP equation provides an analogous mean-field theory. However, the fractional FKPP description is potentially subject to strong quantum fluctuation effects, so it is not clear a priori if it provides a suitable effective description for generic chaotic systems with power-law interactions. Here, in this work, we study this problem using a model of coupled quantum dots with interactions decaying as 1/r α , where each dot hosts N degrees of freedom. The large-N limit corresponds to the mean-field description, while quantum fluctuations contributing to the OTOC can be modeled by 1/N corrections consisting of a cutoff function and noise. Within this framework, we show that the parameters of the effective theory can be chosen to reproduce the butterfly light cone scalings previously found for N=1 and generic finite N. In order to reproduce these scalings, the fractional index μ in the FKPP equation needs to be shifted from the naïve value of μ=2⁢α–1 to a renormalized value μ=2⁢α–2. We provide supporting analytic evidence for the cutoff model and numerical confirmation for the full fractional FKPP equation with cutoff and noise.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Benchmarking and Fidelity Response Theory of High-Fidelity Rydberg Entangling Gates

The fidelity of entangling operations is a key figure of merit in quantum information processing, especially in the context of quantum error correction. High-fidelity entangling gates in neutral atoms have seen remarkable advancement recently. A full understanding of error sources and their respective contributions to gate infidelity will enable the prediction of fundamental limits on quantum gates in neutral atom platforms with realistic experimental constraints. In this work, we implement the time-optimal Rydberg controlled-Z (CZ) gate, design a circuit to benchmark its fidelity, and achieve a fidelity, averaged over symmetric input states, of 0.9971 ( 5 ) , downward corrected for leakage error, which together with our recent work [Nature 634, 321–327 (2024)] forms a new state of the art for neutral atoms. The remaining infidelity is explained by an error model, consistent with our experimental results over a range of gate speeds, with varying contributions from different error sources. Further, we develop a fidelity response theory to efficiently predict infidelity from laser noise with nontrivial power spectral densities and derive scaling laws of infidelity with gate speed. Besides its capability of predicting gate fidelity, we also utilize the fidelity response theory to compare and optimize gate protocols, to learn laser frequency noise, and to study the noise response for quantum simulation tasks. Finally, we predict that a CZ gate fidelity of ≳ 0.999 is feasible with realistic experimental upgrades. Published by the American Physical Society 2025

Tsai, Richard Bing-Shiun (ORCID:0000000286758677)↗

Attention to quantum complexity

The imminent era of error-corrected quantum computing demands robust methods to characterize quantum state complexity from limited, noisy measurements. We introduce the Quantum Attention Network (QuAN), a classical artificial intelligence (AI) framework leveraging attention mechanisms tailored for learning quantum complexity. Inspired by large language models, QuAN treats measurement snapshots as tokens while respecting permutation invariance. Combined with our parameter-efficient miniset self-attention block, this enables QuAN to access high-order moments of bit-string distributions and preferentially attend to less noisy snapshots. We test QuAN across three quantum simulation settings: driven hard-core Bose-Hubbard model, random quantum circuits, and toric code under coherent and incoherent noise. QuAN directly learns entanglement and state complexity growth from experimental computational basis measurements, including complexity growth in random circuits from noisy data. In regimes inaccessible to existing theory, QuAN unveils the complete phase diagram for noisy toric code data as a function of both noise types, highlighting AI’s transformative potential for assisting quantum hardware.

Kim, Hyejin [Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United Sta↗

High-dynamic-range quantum sensing of magnons and their dynamics using a superconducting qubit

Magnons, the quanta of collective spin excitations in magnetic materials, may enable functionalities, such as nonreciprocity and transduction in hybrid quantum devices. To assess the potential of such applications, it is necessary to understand magnon dynamics beyond the simple harmonic oscillator regime, where theory predicts effects like population-dependent damping and quantum fluctuations in the form of magnon shot noise. Probing these phenomena requires sensors with high sensitivity and the ability to resolve magnon properties across different excitation regimes. Here, we demonstrate accurate and sensitive detection of magnon population and decay over a wide range of occupation numbers. We use a superconducting qubit to probe magnons in a ferrimagnet over approximately 2000 excitations. Using qubit control and parametrically induced qubit-magnon interactions, we demonstrate few-excitation sensitive detection of magnons with a dynamic range of approximately 30 dB, and are able to accurately resolve their decay with few-ns sensitivity. These capabilities offer a powerful and practical technique for probing magnon dynamics in or beyond the linear regime over a wide range of excitations.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗