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Nonadiabatic geometric gates with a superconducting qubit

MetadataDetails
Publication Date2021-03-05
JournalScience China Physics Mechanics and Astronomy
AuthorsGui‐Lu Long
InstitutionsTsinghua University
Citations2
AnalysisFull AI Review Included
  • Core Achievement: Experimental implementation of nonadiabatic geometric quantum gates in a superconducting qubit system, achieving an average gate fidelity up to 99.6%.
  • Fidelity Improvement: The demonstrated geometric gates exhibit higher fidelity compared to traditional dynamic gates, crucial for fault-tolerant quantum computing.
  • Decoherence Mitigation: The methodology successfully avoids the primary limitation of previous schemes by restricting operations to the two lowest energy levels of the transmon qubit.
  • Auxiliary State Avoidance: This two-level approach eliminates the need for the second excited state (auxiliary level), which previously introduced significant decoherence due to its short coherence time.
  • Gate Completeness: A comprehensive set of one-qubit quantum gates was demonstrated, including the Identity operator (I), Hadamard gate (H), and various rotation gates (Rx, Ry, Rz).
  • Methodology: Gates are realized through the cyclic evolution of the superconducting qubit system, leveraging geometric phase properties for robustness against control errors.
ParameterValueUnitContext
Average Gate Fidelity99.6%Achieved using the new nonadiabatic geometric gate scheme.
Qubit System TypeTransmon QubitN/ASuperconducting circuit used for experimental implementation.
Operational Levels UsedTwo Lowest LevelsN/AStrategy to avoid decoherence from higher energy states.
Auxiliary Level AvoidedSecond Excited StateN/APreviously used level known for short coherence time.
Gate Fidelity ComparisonHigherN/AGeometric gates show fidelity superior to dynamic gates.
Demonstrated Gate Set8 specific gatesN/AI, H, Rx(pi), Rx(pi/2), Ry(pi), Ry(pi/2), Rz(pi), Rz(pi/2).
Required Fidelity for FTQCTypically > 99%The achieved fidelity meets requirements for error correction.
  1. Qubit Platform Selection: Utilizing a superconducting transmon qubit system, a standard platform for scalable quantum computation.
  2. Geometric Gate Implementation: Applying nonadiabatic geometric phase control to implement quantum gates, relying on the cyclic evolution of the qubit state vector.
  3. Energy Level Restriction: Crucially, the gate operations were designed to utilize only the two lowest energy levels of the transmon qubit.
  4. Coherence Optimization: This restriction effectively bypasses the need for the second excited state (e2), which, in prior nonadiabatic holonomic schemes, acted as an auxiliary level but suffered from a relatively short coherence time, thereby limiting overall gate fidelity.
  5. Cyclic Evolution Control: Precise microwave pulse sequences are used to drive the two-level system through a closed loop in the parameter space, generating the required geometric phase shift (the gate operation).
  6. Gate Set Validation: Experimental verification of a complete set of single-qubit gates (Identity, Hadamard, and rotations around X, Y, and Z axes) to confirm universality and high fidelity.
  • Fault-Tolerant Quantum Computing (FTQC): The primary application is providing the high-fidelity building blocks necessary for scalable, error-corrected quantum processors.
  • Superconducting Quantum Hardware: Direct integration into the control layer of superconducting quantum chips, replacing lower-fidelity dynamic gates with robust geometric counterparts.
  • Quantum Algorithm Development: Enabling the reliable execution of complex quantum algorithms (e.g., Shor’s, Grover’s) where error accumulation is a critical bottleneck.
  • Quantum Sensing and Metrology: Utilizing the inherent robustness of geometric phases to create quantum sensors less susceptible to local environmental noise and control fluctuations.
  • Cryogenic Control Systems: Driving the development of advanced arbitrary waveform generators (AWGs) and microwave control electronics capable of generating the precise, high-speed pulses required for nonadiabatic cyclic evolution.