Abstract
We preform dynamic state evolution on an IBM quantum computer using a simulation of braiding Majorana zero modes as a benchmark for success. We find the native quantum gates introduce too much noise to observe braiding. Instead, we use Qiskit Pulse to develop scaled 2-qubit quantum gates that better match the unitary time evolution operator and enable us to observe braiding. This paper demonstrates that quantum computers can be used for simulation, and highlights the use of pulse-level control for programming quantum computers and constitutes the first experimental evidence of braiding via dynamical Hamiltonian evolution.
Highlights
Quantum computers may significantly outperform classical ones in the area of simulation of quantum systems [1,2] and other specialized algorithms [3,4]
We have demonstrated that pulse-level control of quantum computers enables us to simulate the braiding of Majorana zero modes, expanding the “digital” capabilities offered by the native basis gates on IBM quantum backends
Our demonstration shows that we have reached the point at which quantum computers can perform interesting quantum simulations, but to achieve a sufficient quality it is crucial to understand the performance of the hardware and compose software that respects its limitations
Summary
Quantum computers may significantly outperform classical ones in the area of simulation of quantum systems [1,2] and other specialized algorithms [3,4]. This “analog” simulation must be decomposed and mapped onto the calibrated native basis gates of a quantum computer, making it “digital”. Protected quantum computation works by moving non-Abelian anyons, such as Majorana zero modes (MZMs), around each other in two dimensions to form three dimensional braids in space-time [14,15,16]. This approach is advantageous as it offers protection from local perturbations. We remark that this result can be interpreted as an experimental observation of braiding in a quantum system
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