Numerical Error Extraction by Quantum Measurement Algorithm

Abstract

Important quantum algorithm routines allow the implementation of specific quantum operations (a.k.a. gates) by combining basic quantum circuits with an iterative structure. In this structure, the number of repetitions of the basic circuit pattern is associated to convergence parameters. This iterative structure behaves similarly to function approximation by series expansion: the higher the truncation order, the better the target gate (i.e. operation) approximation. The asymptotic convergence of the gate error with respect to the number of basic pattern repetitions is known. It is referred to as the query complexity. The underlying convergence law is bounded, but not in an explicit fashion. Upper bounds are generally too pessimistic to be useful in practice. The actual convergence law contains constants that depend on the joint properties of the matrix encoded by the query and the initial state vector, which are difficult to compute classically. This paper proposes a strategy to study this convergence law and extract the associated constants from the gate (operation) approximation at different accuracy (convergence parameter) constructed directly on a Quantum Processing Unit (QPU). This protocol is called Numerical Error Extraction by Quantum Measurement Algorithm (NEEQMA). NEEQMA concepts are tested on specific instances of Quantum Signal Processing (QSP) and Hamiltonian Simulation by Trotterization. Knowing theexact convergence constants allows for selecting the smallest convergence parameters that enable reaching the required gate approximation accuracy, hence satisfying the quantum algorithm's requirements.