Debugging quantum circuits by circuit rewriting

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020175414-A1
Application number	US-202016781054-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 4, 2020
Priority date	Sep 29, 2017
Publication date	Jun 4, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

Techniques for automating quantum circuit debugging are provided that simulate standard debugging behaviors. The technology includes rewriting a source quantum circuit into instrumented circuits based on instrumentation instruction information inserted into software code that corresponds to the source quantum circuit. The instrumented circuits can executed to obtain measurement data corresponding to different state data of qubits within the source quantum circuit. The measurement data can be processed to output generated information corresponding to one or more internal states or processes of a quantum computer associated with the source quantum circuit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system, comprising:
a memory that stores computer executable components; a processor that executes computer executable components stored in the memory, wherein the computer executable components comprise:
a circuit rewriting component that propagates one or more influences of instrumentation information forwards or backwards through a source quantum circuit to identify one or more qubits of the source quantum circuit whose state is causally connected to the instrumentation; and
an execution component that executes an instrumented circuit to produce measurement data, wherein the instrumented circuit is based on removal of one or more gates associated with the one or more qubits from the source quantum circuit.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the circuit rewriting component applies circuit rewriting rules based on the instrumentation information.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the circuit rewriting component employs one or more analysis parameters received via an application programming interface.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the instrumentation information comprises a breakpoint inserted between two quantum circuit instructions in the source quantum circuit.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the instrumentation information comprises a beginning breakpoint inserted before a quantum code segment in the source quantum circuit and an ending breakpoint inserted after the quantum code segment.

6 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a statistical estimation component that evaluates the measurement data to infer information corresponding to one or more internal states or processes of the quantum computer.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the statistical estimation component employs state tomography and reconstruction to evaluate the measurement data.

8 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the statistical estimation component employs process tomography and reconstruction to evaluate the measurement data.

9 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:
propagating, by a system operatively coupled to a processor, one or more influences of instrumentation information forwards or backwards through a source quantum circuit to identify one or more qubits of the source quantum circuit whose state is causally connected to the instrumentation; executing, by a device, an instrumented circuit to produce measurement data, wherein the instrumented circuit is based on removal of one or more gates associated with the one or more qubits from the source quantum circuit.

10 . The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , further comprising applying, by the system, circuit rewriting rules based on the instrumentation information.

11 . The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , further comprising employing, by the system, one or more analysis parameters received via an application programming interface.

12 . The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , wherein the instrumentation information comprises a breakpoint inserted between two quantum circuit instructions in the source quantum circuit.

13 . The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , wherein the instrumentation information comprises a beginning breakpoint inserted before a quantum code segment in the source quantum circuit and an ending breakpoint inserted after the quantum code segment.

14 . The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , further comprising evaluating, by the system, the measurement data to infer information corresponding to one or more internal states or processes of the quantum computer.

15 . The computer-implemented method of claim 14 , wherein the evaluating comprises employing state tomography and reconstruction to evaluate the measurement data.

16 . The computer-implemented method of claim 14 , wherein the evaluating comprises employing process tomography and reconstruction to evaluate the measurement data.

17 . A computer program product facilitating debugging quantum computer software, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to:
propagate one or more influences of instrumentation information forwards or backwards through a source quantum circuit to identify one or more qubits of the source quantum circuit whose state is causally connected to the instrumentation; execute an instrumented circuit to produce measurement data, wherein the instrumented circuit is based on removal of one or more gates associated with the one or more qubits from the source quantum circuit.

18 . The computer program product of claim 17 , wherein the program instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the processor to:
apply circuit rewriting rules based on the instrumentation information.

19 . The computer program product of claim 17 , wherein the program instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the processor to:
employ one or more analysis parameters received via an application programming interface.

20 . The computer program product of claim 17 , wherein the instrumentation information comprises a breakpoint inserted between two quantum circuit instructions in the source quantum circuit.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Bishop Lev Samuel
• Cross Andrew
• Gambetta Jay

Classifications

• G06N10/00 Primary

  Quantum computing, i.e. information processing based on quantum-mechanical phenomena · CPC title

• G06F12/1416

  by checking the object accessibility, e.g. type of access defined by the memory independently of subject rights (G06F12/1458 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06N10/70

  Quantum error correction, detection or prevention, e.g. surface codes or magic state distillation · CPC title

• G06N10/80

  Quantum programming, e.g. interfaces, languages or software-development kits for creating or handling programs capable of running on quantum computers; Platforms for simulating or accessing quantum computers, e.g. cloud-based quantum computing · CPC title

• G06N10/20 Primary

  Models of quantum computing, e.g. quantum circuits or universal quantum computers · CPC title