Ability of error correlations to improve the performance of variational quantum algorithms

Abstract

The quantum approximate optimization algorithm (QAOA) has the potential of providing a useful quantum advantage on noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) devices. The effects of uncorrelated noise on variational quantum algorithms such as QAOA have been studied intensively. Recent experimental results, however, show that the errors impacting NISQ devices are significantly correlated. We introduce a model for both spatially and temporally (non-Markovian) correlated errors based on classical environmental fluctuators. The model allows for the independent variation of the marginalized spacetime-local error probability and the correlation strength. Using this model, we study the effects of correlated stochastic noise on QAOA. We find evidence that the performance of QAOA improves as the correlation time or correlation length of the noise is increased at fixed local error probabilities. This shows that noise correlations in themselves need not be detrimental for NISQ algorithms such as QAOA.

Published version. Parts from the SM moved to the appendix. Improvements to the main text. 16 pages, 5 figures

References in corpus (12)

• Supplementary information for "Quantum supremacy using a programmable superconducting processor"
• Quantum algorithm for solving linear systems of equations
• Quantum computational advantage using photons
• 14-qubit entanglement: creation and coherence
• Computing with spin qubits at the surface code error threshold
• Decoherence benchmarking of superconducting qubits
• Model for l/f Flux Noise in SQUIDs and Qubits
• Fault-Tolerant Quantum Computation For Local Non-Markovian Noise
• Charge-noise spectroscopy of Si/SiGe quantum dots via dynamically-decoupled exchange oscillations
• Variational quantum eigensolver for the Heisenberg antiferromagnet on the kagome lattice
• Crosstalk analysis for single-qubit and two-qubit gates in spin qubit arrays
• Solving correlation clustering with QAOA and a Rydberg qudit system: a full-stack approach

Cited by in corpus (8)

• A Review on Quantum Approximate Optimization Algorithm and its Variants
• Entanglement Structure and Information Protection in Noisy Hybrid Quantum Circuits
• Robustness of Variational Quantum Algorithms against stochastic parameter perturbation
• Emergence of noise-induced barren plateaus in arbitrary layered noise models
• Noise Correlations in a 1D Silicon Spin Qubit Array
• Mitigating Quantum Gate Errors for Variational Eigensolvers Using Hardware-Inspired Zero-Noise Extrapolation
• Characterization of overparametrization in the simulation of realistic quantum systems
• Non-Markovianity Benefits Quantum Dynamics Simulation