arXiv subjects

Shai Machnes

Publications and source records attributed to Shai Machnes.

17 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Benchmarking Optimization Algorithms for Automated Calibration of Quantum Devices

We present the results of a comprehensive study of optimization algorithms for the calibration of quantum devices. As part of our ongoing efforts to automate bring-up, tune-up, and system identification procedures, we investigate a broad range of optimizers within a simulated environment designed to closely mimic the challenges of real-world experimental conditions. Our benchmark includes widely used algorithms such as Nelder-Mead and the state-of-the-art Covariance Matrix Adaptation Evolution Strategy (CMA-ES). We evaluate performance in both low-dimensional settings, representing simple pulse shapes used in current optimal control protocols with a limited number of parameters, and high-dimensional regimes, which reflect the demands of complex control pulses with many parameters. Based on our findings, we recommend the CMA-ES algorithm and provide empirical evidence for its superior performance across all tested scenarios.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2025

Demolition measurement protocol for transmon qubits

The process of measuring a qubit and re-initializing it to the ground state practically lead to long qubit idle times between re-runs of experiments on a superconducting quantum computer. Here, we propose a protocol for a \textit{demolition measurement} of a transmon qubit that integrates qubit readout with the reset process to minimize qubit idle time. We present a three-staged implementation of this protocol, involving a combined qubit readout and resonator reset scheme that unconditionally resets the resonator at the end of the readout; a leakage removal scheme that can be integrated with the measurement stage; and an unconditional qubit reset. We demonstrate that this protocol could be implemented in $1 \, \mu$s with greater than $95 \, \%$ reset fidelity and a $99 \, \%$ readout fidelity without any hardware overhead beyond those commonly used. This provides at least a 50x speed up compared to the passive decay of the qubit, thereby significantly increasing the data-acquisition rate.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2024

Co-designing Transmon devices for control with simple pulses

In the current NISQ era, there is demand for functional quantum devices to solve relevant computational problems, which motivates a utilitarian perspective on device design: The goal is to create a device that is able to run a given algorithm with state-of-the-art performance. In this work, we use optimal control tools to derive the gate set required by a toy algorithm and, in tandem, explore the model space of superconducting quantum computer design, from dispersively coupled to stronger interacting qubits, to maximize gate fidelity. We employ perfect entangler theory to provide flexibility in the search for a two-qubit gate on a given platform and to compare designs with different entangling mechanisms, e.g., $\texttt{CPHASE}$ and $\sqrt{\texttt{iSWAP}}$. To ensure the applicability of our investigation, we limit ourselves to "simple" (i.e., sparse parametrization) pulses and quantify, where results differ from using the full complexity of piecewise constant controls.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2024

Non-Markovian Ensemble Propagation

Open quantum systems are ubiquitous in nature and central to quantum technologies. A common description of their dynamics is given by the celebrated Lindblad master equation, which can be generalized to the non-Markovian scenario. In this work, we introduce the Non-Markovian Ensemble Propagation (NMEP) method, which extends the Monte Carlo Wave-Function (MCWF) method to the non-Markovian case in a simple and general manner. We demonstrate its accuracy and effectiveness in a selection of examples, and compare the results with either analytic expressions or direct numerical integration of the master equation.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2023

Two qubits in one transmon -- QEC without ancilla hardware

We show that it is theoretically possible to use higher energy levels for storing and controlling two qubits within a superconducting transmon. This is done by identifying energy levels as product states between multiple effecitve qubits. As a proof of concept we realise a complete set of gates necessary for universal computing by numerically optimising control pulses for single qubit gates on each of the qubits, entangling gates between the two qubits in one transmon, and an entangling gate between two qubits from two coupled transmons. The optimisation considers parameters which could make it possible to validate this experimentally. With these control pulses it is in principle possible to double the number of available qubits without any overhead in hardware. The additional qubits could be used in algorithms which need many short-living qubits such as syndrom qubits in error correction or by embedding effecitve higher connectivity in qubit networks.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2022

Software tool-set for automated quantum system identification and device bring up

We present a software tool-set which combines the theoretical, optimal control view of quantum devices with the practical operation and characterization tasks required for quantum computing. In the same framework, we perform model-based simulations to create control schemes, calibrate these controls in a closed-loop with the device (or in this demo \textemdash by emulating the experimental process) and finally improve the system model through minimization of the mismatch between simulation and experiment, resulting in a digital twin of the device. The model based simulator is implemented using TensorFlow, for numeric efficiency, scalability and to make use of automatic differentiation, which enables gradient-based optimization for arbitrary models and control schemes. Optimizations are carried out with a collection of state-of-the-art algorithms originated in the field of machine learning. All of this comes with a user-friendly Qiskit interface, which allows end-users to easily simulate their quantum circuits on a high-fidelity differentiable physics simulator.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2020

Integrated tool-set for Control, Calibration and Characterization of quantum devices applied to superconducting qubits

Efforts to scale-up quantum computation have reached a point where the principal limiting factor is not the number of qubits, but the entangling gate infidelity. However, the highly detailed system characterization required to understand the underlying error sources is an arduous process and impractical with increasing chip size. Open-loop optimal control techniques allow for the improvement of gates but are limited by the models they are based on. To rectify the situation, we provide an integrated open-source tool-set for Control, Calibration and Characterization, capable of open-loop pulse optimization, model-free calibration, model fitting and refinement. We present a methodology to combine these tools to find a quantitatively accurate system model, high-fidelity gates and an approximate error budget, all based on a high-performance, feature-rich simulator. We illustrate our methods using simulated fixed-frequency superconducting qubits for which we learn model parameters with less than 1% error and derive a coherence limited cross-resonance (CR) gate that achieves 99.6% fidelity without need for calibration.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2020

An introduction into optimal control for quantum technologies

In this series of lectures, we would like to introduce the audience to quantum optimal control. The first lecture will cover basic ideas and principles of optimal control with the goal of demystifying its jargon. The second lecture will describe computational tools (for computations both on paper and in a computer) for its implementation as well as their conceptual background. The third chapter will go through a series of popular examples from different applications of quantum technology.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2020

Leakage reduction in fast superconducting qubit gates via optimal control

Reaching high speed, high fidelity qubit operations requires precise control over the shape of the underlying pulses. For weakly anharmonic systems, such as superconducting transmon qubits, short gates lead to leakage to states outside of the computational subspace. Control pulses designed with open-loop optimal control may reduce such leakage. However, model inaccuracies can severely limit the usability of such pulses. We implemented a closed-loop optimization that simultaneously adapts all control parameters based on measurements of a cost function built from Clifford gates. By parameterizing pulses with a piecewise-constant representation that matches the capabilities of the control hardware we create a $4.16~\rm{ns}$ single-qubit pulse with $99.76\,\%$ fidelity and $0.044\,\%$ leakage. This is a seven-fold reduction of the leakage rate of the best DRAG pulse we have calibrated at such short durations on the same system.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2017

Optimized cross-resonance gate for coupled transmon systems

The cross-resonant gate is an entangling gate for fixed frequency superconducting qubits introduced for untunable qubits. While being simple and extensible, it suffers from long duration and limited fidelity. Using two different optimal control algorithms, we probe the quantum speed limit for a CNOT gate in this system. We show that the ability to approach this limit depends strongly on the ansatz used to describe the optimal control pulse. A piecewise constant ansatz with a single carrier leads to an experimentally feasible pulse shape, shorter than the one currently used in experiments, but that remains relatively far from the speed limit. On the other hand, an ansatz based on the two dominant frequencies involved in the optimal control problem allows to generate an optimal solution more than twice as fast, in under $30$ns. This comes close to the theoretical quantum speed limit, which we estimate at $15$ns for typical circuit-QED parameters, which is more than an order of magnitude faster than current experimental microwave-driven realizations, and more than twice as fast as tunable direct-coupling experimental realizations.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2016

Quantum Dynamics in Phase space using the Biorthogonal von Neumann bases: Algorithmic Considerations

The von Neumann lattice refers to a discrete basis of Gaussians located on a lattice in phase space. It provides an attractive approach for solving quantum mechanical problems, allowing the pruning of tensor-product basis sets using phase space considerations. In a series of recent articles Shimshovitz et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 109 7 (2012)], Takemoto et al. [Journal of Chemical Physics 137 1 (2012)] Machnes et al. [Journal of Chemical Physics, accepted (2016)]), we have introduced two key new elements into the method: a formalism for converging the basis and for efficient pruning by use of the biorthogonal basis. In this paper we review the key components of the theory and then present new, efficient and parallelizable iterative algorithms for solving the time-independent and time-dependent Schr\"odinger equations. The algorithms dynamically determine the active reduced basis iteratively without resorting to classical analogs. These algorithmic developments, combined with the previous formal developments, allow quantum dynamics to be performed directly and economically in phase space. We provide two illustrative examples: double-well tunneling and double ionization of helium.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2016

Quantum Dynamics in Phase Space using Projected von Neumann Bases

We describe the mathematical underpinnings of the biorthogonal von Neumann method for quantum mechanical simulations (PvB). In particular, we present a detailed discussion of the important issue of non-orthogonal projection onto subspaces of biorthogonal bases, and how this differs from orthogonal projection. We present various representations of the Schr\"odinger equation in the reduced basis and discuss their relative merits. We conclude with illustrative examples and a discussion of the outlook and challenges ahead for the PvB representation.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2015

Gradient optimization of analytic controls: the route to high accuracy quantum optimal control

Quantum computation places very stringent demands on gate fidelities, and experimental implementations require both the controls and the resultant dynamics to conform to hardware-specific constraints. Superconducting qubits present the additional requirement that pulses must have simple parameterizations, so they can be further calibrated in the experiment, to compensate for uncertainties in system parameters. Other quantum technologies, such as sensing, require extremely high fidelities. We present a novel, conceptually simple and easy-to-implement gradient-based optimal control technique named Gradient Optimization of Analytic conTrols (GOAT), which satisfies all the above requirements, unlike previous approaches. To demonstrate GOAT's capabilities, with emphasis on flexibility and ease of subsequent calibration, we optimize fast coherence-limited pulses for two leading superconducting qubits architectures - flux-tunable transmons and fixed-frequency transmons with tunable couplers.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2015

Double ionization of Helium from a phase space perspective

The aim of this paper is two-fold. First, we present a phase space perspective on long range double ionization in a one dimensional model of helium. The dynamics is simulated with the periodic von Neumann (PvB) method, an exact quantum method based on a lattice of phase space Gaussians. Second, we benchmark the method by comparing to the Multiconfiguration Time-dependent Hartree method. The PvB approach is found to be faster than the standard MCTDH code for the dynamics calculations and to give better accuracy control.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2014

Surprising Interactions of Markovian noise and Coherent Driving

We derive the explicit commutation relations for the generators of quantum dynamical semigroup - Markovian superoperator evolution, allowing the extension of Baker-Campbell-Hausdorff-type relations to general Lindblad-type evolutions. This provides a novel tool for exploring the interaction of time-dependent coherent and Markovian evolutions - a surprisingly rich set of behaviors which include deformation by coherent driving of Markovian terms, generation of new Lindblad terms from time-dependent noise and even a coherent driving term generated by the interaction of time-separated Markovian noises. Finally, we consider the Lindblad superoperators as vectors in a higher space, allowing us to extract the infinitely divisible subspace of a given channel and to recover its Lindblad form.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2011

Pulsed Laser Cooling for Cavity-Optomechanical Resonators

A pulsed cooling scheme for optomechanical systems is presented that is capable of cooling at much faster rates, shorter overall cooling times, and for a wider set of experimental scenarios than is possible by conventional methods. The proposed scheme can be implemented for both strongly and weakly coupled optomechanical systems in both weakly and highly dissipative cavities. We study analytically its underlying working mechanism, which is based on interferometric control of optomechanical interactions, and we demonstrate its efficiency with pulse sequences that are obtained by using methods from optimal control. The short time in which our scheme approaches the optomechanical ground state allows for a significant relaxation of current experimental constraints. Finally, the framework presented here can be used to create a rich variety of optomechanical interactions and hence offers a novel, readily available toolbox for fast optomechanical quantum control.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2007

QLib - A Matlab Package for Quantum Information Theory Calculations with Applications

Developing intuition about quantum information theory problems is difficult, as is verifying or ruling-out of hypothesis. We present a Matlab package intended to provide the QIT community with a new and powerful tool-set for quantum information theory calculations. The package covers most of the "QI textbook" and includes novel parametrization of quantum objects and a robust optimization mechanism. New ways of re-examining well-known results is demonstrated. QLib is designed to be further developed and enhanced by the community and is available for download at www.qlib.info

quant-ph↗