A new study suggests unique ways to improve data security.
A recent study published in the prestigious scientific journal Physical Review Letters (PRL) introduced a new concept of so-called "pseudomagic quantum states." These states have an extremely high degree of quantum entanglement and complexity, which can be an important step towards achieving quantum supremacy.
Quantum supremacy is the ability of quantum computers to solve certain problems that are practically impossible for classical computers due to the limited computational capabilities of the latter. The ultimate goal is universal quantum computing, that is, the ability of quantum devices to perform any quantum algorithms.
In their study, the PRL scientists studied unstable quantum states called "magic" states. It is their high complexity and complexity that make it impossible to effectively simulate such states on classical computers. This property provides quantum computers with their potential advantage in computing power.
Physicist.org spoke with the study's co-authors: Andi Gu, a graduate student at Harvard University, and Dr. Lorenzo Leone, a postdoctoral fellow at the Free University of Berlin. Gu noted that quantum computing is more powerful than classical computing, and the term "instability" or "magic" refers to the measure of non-classical resources that a quantum state has.
Stable and unstable quantum states
Each quantum system can be represented by a quantum state — a mathematical equation that contains all the information about the system. A stabilized state is a type of quantum state that can be efficiently simulated on a classical computer. Dr. Leone explained that these states and a limited set of quantum operations form a classically simulated structure, but they are not sufficient to achieve universal quantum computing. To perform truly quantum computations that go beyond the capabilities of classical computers, unstable states are required, which are difficult to create due to the need for more complex quantum operations.
Gu explained that instability is a resource for achieving quantum supremacy: the more unstable a quantum state is, the more powerful it is as a resource for quantum computing.
Pseudomagic states
The researchers proposed the concept of pseudomagic quantum states, which have the properties of unstable states, but are indistinguishable from random quantum states for an observer with limited computational resources. This means that pseudo-magical states seem magical, but they are much easier to create.
Dr. Leone noted that it takes an exponential amount of computational resources to distinguish pseudo-magical states from real magical ones, which makes it impossible for a real observer to do so. Gu added that pseudomagic states are created to appear highly unstable to limited quantum observers.
Bookmark the basics
The researchers outlined the theoretical basis for pseudomagic states through six theorems and their application in quantum computing. They created pseudo-magical states with a configurable gap between their real and apparent instability. This means that it is possible to create states that appear to be powerful resources for quantum computing, although in reality they are less resource-intensive.
The basis of this structure is the concept of stabilizer entropy, which measures the instability of a quantum system. Unlike other measurements of instability, the entropy of the stabilizer is less computationally expensive.
Applications in quantum computing
The researchers have identified three areas where pseudomagic states can make a difference, starting with quantum cryptography. According to the study, pseudomagic states introduce a new protocol for quantum cryptography based on EFI pairs (Efficiently prepared, statistically Far, but computationally Indistinguishable, efficiently prepared, statistically distant, but computationally indistinguishable), which can improve the security of data transmission.
Pseudomagic states can also provide new knowledge about quantum chaos and mixing, which is important for understanding the behavior of complex quantum systems and the propagation of quantum information. Gu noted that the difference between the apparent and real magic of the quantum state underscores the need to take into account the limitations of realistic observers when studying quantum systems.
Finally, pseudomagic states can be used to create more efficient fault-tolerant quantum computers through the process of distilling magic states, which improves their suitability for quantum algorithms and error correction schemes.
In the future, the researchers plan to study the relationship between pseudomagic states and the concepts of quantum information theory, as well as the experimental implementation of pseudomagic states using modern and promising quantum devices. This could lead to the development of practical applications that take advantage of the unique properties of these conditions, concluded Dr. Leone.
A recent study published in the prestigious scientific journal Physical Review Letters (PRL) introduced a new concept of so-called "pseudomagic quantum states." These states have an extremely high degree of quantum entanglement and complexity, which can be an important step towards achieving quantum supremacy.
Quantum supremacy is the ability of quantum computers to solve certain problems that are practically impossible for classical computers due to the limited computational capabilities of the latter. The ultimate goal is universal quantum computing, that is, the ability of quantum devices to perform any quantum algorithms.
In their study, the PRL scientists studied unstable quantum states called "magic" states. It is their high complexity and complexity that make it impossible to effectively simulate such states on classical computers. This property provides quantum computers with their potential advantage in computing power.
Physicist.org spoke with the study's co-authors: Andi Gu, a graduate student at Harvard University, and Dr. Lorenzo Leone, a postdoctoral fellow at the Free University of Berlin. Gu noted that quantum computing is more powerful than classical computing, and the term "instability" or "magic" refers to the measure of non-classical resources that a quantum state has.
Stable and unstable quantum states
Each quantum system can be represented by a quantum state — a mathematical equation that contains all the information about the system. A stabilized state is a type of quantum state that can be efficiently simulated on a classical computer. Dr. Leone explained that these states and a limited set of quantum operations form a classically simulated structure, but they are not sufficient to achieve universal quantum computing. To perform truly quantum computations that go beyond the capabilities of classical computers, unstable states are required, which are difficult to create due to the need for more complex quantum operations.
Gu explained that instability is a resource for achieving quantum supremacy: the more unstable a quantum state is, the more powerful it is as a resource for quantum computing.
Pseudomagic states
The researchers proposed the concept of pseudomagic quantum states, which have the properties of unstable states, but are indistinguishable from random quantum states for an observer with limited computational resources. This means that pseudo-magical states seem magical, but they are much easier to create.
Dr. Leone noted that it takes an exponential amount of computational resources to distinguish pseudo-magical states from real magical ones, which makes it impossible for a real observer to do so. Gu added that pseudomagic states are created to appear highly unstable to limited quantum observers.
Bookmark the basics
The researchers outlined the theoretical basis for pseudomagic states through six theorems and their application in quantum computing. They created pseudo-magical states with a configurable gap between their real and apparent instability. This means that it is possible to create states that appear to be powerful resources for quantum computing, although in reality they are less resource-intensive.
The basis of this structure is the concept of stabilizer entropy, which measures the instability of a quantum system. Unlike other measurements of instability, the entropy of the stabilizer is less computationally expensive.
Applications in quantum computing
The researchers have identified three areas where pseudomagic states can make a difference, starting with quantum cryptography. According to the study, pseudomagic states introduce a new protocol for quantum cryptography based on EFI pairs (Efficiently prepared, statistically Far, but computationally Indistinguishable, efficiently prepared, statistically distant, but computationally indistinguishable), which can improve the security of data transmission.
Pseudomagic states can also provide new knowledge about quantum chaos and mixing, which is important for understanding the behavior of complex quantum systems and the propagation of quantum information. Gu noted that the difference between the apparent and real magic of the quantum state underscores the need to take into account the limitations of realistic observers when studying quantum systems.
Finally, pseudomagic states can be used to create more efficient fault-tolerant quantum computers through the process of distilling magic states, which improves their suitability for quantum algorithms and error correction schemes.
In the future, the researchers plan to study the relationship between pseudomagic states and the concepts of quantum information theory, as well as the experimental implementation of pseudomagic states using modern and promising quantum devices. This could lead to the development of practical applications that take advantage of the unique properties of these conditions, concluded Dr. Leone.
