Quantum certification and benchmarking

 

A paper entitled "Quantum certification and benchmarking", based on research from the Hub's Verification, Validation and Benchmarking work package, has recently been published in Nature Reviews Physics.

Abstract:  With the rapid development of quantum technologies, a pressing need has emerged for a wide array of tools for the certification and characterization of quantum devices. Such tools are critical because the powerful applications of quantum information science will only be realized if stringent levels of precision of components can be reached and their functioning guaranteed. This Technical Review provides a brief overview of the known characterization methods for certification, benchmarking and tomographic reconstruction of quantum states and processes, and outlines their applications in quantum computing, simulation and communication.

Key points
  • To ensure the correct functioning of a quantum device, its components must be certified and benchmarked.

  • Certification, benchmarking and characterization tasks are particularly demanding in quantum simulation and computing applications.

  • The most common tools for certification and benchmarking are surveyed and assessed according to the information that may be extracted from the protocol, the assumptions underlying the protocol, and its complexity in terms of samples, measurements and post-processing.

  • We highlight particularly important concepts, protocols and applications and list key figures of merit — information gain, complexity and underlying assumptions — for several protocols.

Read more athttps://www.nature.com/articles/s42254-020-0186-4