Thermodynamics of Quantum Trajectories on a Quantum Computer

Cech, Marcel; Lesanovsky, Igor; Carollo, Federico

Abstract

Quantum computers have recently become available as noisy intermediate-scale quantum devices. Already these machines yield a useful environment for research on quantum systems and dynamics. Building on this opportunity, we investigate open-system dynamics that are simulated on a quantum computer by coupling a system of interest to an ancilla. After each interaction the ancilla is measured, and the sequence of measurements defines a quantum trajectory. Using a thermodynamic analogy, which identifies trajectories as microstates, we show how to bias the dynamics of the open system in order to enhance the probability of quantum trajectories with desired properties, e.g., particular measurement patterns or temporal correlations. We discuss how such a biased - generally non-Markovian - dynamics can be implemented on a unitary, gate-based quantum computer and show proof-of-principle results on the publicly accessible ibmq_jakarta machine. While our analysis is solely conducted on small systems, it highlights the challenges in controlling complex aspects of open-system dynamics on digital quantum computers.

Citation

Cech, M., Lesanovsky, I., & Carollo, F. (2023). Thermodynamics of Quantum Trajectories on a Quantum Computer. Physical Review Letters, 131(12), Article 120401. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.131.120401

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Aug 17, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Sep 22, 2023
• Publication Date: Sep 22, 2023
• Deposit Date: Aug 22, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 22, 2023
• Journal: Physical Review Letters
• Print ISSN: 0031-9007
• Electronic ISSN: 1079-7114
• Publisher: American Physical Society
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 131
• Issue: 12
• Article Number: 120401
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.131.120401
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/24577780
• Publisher URL: https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.131.120401