2021 — 2022 |
Albash, Tameem |
N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
Eager: Qsa: Approximating the Ground States of Non-Stochastic Hamiltonians Using the Variational Quantum Eigensolver @ University of New Mexico
Quantum algorithms utilize the unique properties of quantum physics to perform computational tasks, and for certain tasks they can do so more efficiently than algorithms restricted to the laws of classical physics. Quantum computers that can implement such algorithms are now publicly available, but these devices remain limited in the size and length of computations they can perform, keeping quantum algorithms with proven quantum advantages out of reach. Hybrid algorithms that use both quantum and classical hardware have been proposed as one approach to address this challenge, and this project aims to study the viability of hybrid approaches in delivering a quantum advantage by performing a systematic computational cost comparison with state-of-the-art classical algorithms. If advantages are possible using near-term quantum computers, it would dramatically enhance our ability to understand and predict complex systems across the physical sciences. The project highlights the multi-disciplinary nature of quantum computing and will train students to have a diverse toolbox to tackle emerging challenges in the field. This approach is at the heart of the project's efforts to develop a new curriculum to prepare a 'quantum-ready' workforce to address the call of the National Quantum Initiative Act of 2018.
The task of approximating the ground state of many-body non-stochastic Hamiltonians, a class of quantum Hamiltonians that describes many relevant model systems such as fermionic and sign-problematic Hamiltonians, manifests itself in a range of disciplines, from high energy physics to quantum chemistry. Current classical approaches for tackling this problem are computationally prohibitive at relevant system sizes, and overcoming or mitigating this computational bottleneck would enable new simulations of important model systems with far-reaching impacts across the physical sciences. To what degree present quantum hardware can achieve this remains an open question. This project addresses this possibility by performing a side-by-side comparison of the computational cost of hybrid quantum-classical variational algorithms and state-of-the-art classical algorithms using well-defined problem classes of non-stochastic Hamiltonians of varying difficulty. A key objective of this assessment is to understand the differences and similarities between the optimization landscapes of the hybrid and purely-classical approaches, which may provide insight into the conditions under which the hybrid approach can achieve an advantage. The research combines lessons from spin glass theory, Hamiltonian complexity, numerical simulations, and rigorous benchmarking experience in order to make an assessment of the viability of achieving a quantum advantage on near-term quantum hardware.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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0.955 |
2021 — 2026 |
Atlas, Susan (co-PI) [⬀] Deutsch, Ivan [⬀] Miyake, Akimasa Albash, Tameem Crosson, Elizabeth (co-PI) [⬀] |
N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
Frhtp: Center For Quantum Information and Control @ University of New Mexico
Quantum Information Science (QIS) is an interdisciplinary field at the interface of two of the greatest scientific and technical triumphs of the 20th century: quantum physics and information science. The digital revolution that followed, based on semiconductor chips, laser communications, and computer science, has fueled the economic engine of today’s information society. QIS will fuel a second quantum revolution into the 21st century. The second quantum revolution will harness the full power of quantum mechanics (the physics of the atomic world) with devices that rely on quantum-weird phenomena such as superposition and entanglement to process information in ways that are much more powerful than today’s best supercomputers and cybersecurity systems. The Focused Research Hub in Theoretical Physics (FRHTP): Center for Quantum Information and Control (CQuIC) funded in this grant from the NSF will create a “theory hub” for fundamental research that provides the foundation for the second quantum revolution. Housed at the University of New Mexico (UNM), CQuIC brings together an interdisciplinary team of theoreticians with expertise in physics, computer science, electrical engineering, and chemistry, as well as partners at Sandia National Laboratories, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Honeywell Quantum Solutions, to collaborate, innovate, and tackle the most important outstanding problems in QIS. CQuIC will provide a focal point for United States QIS-theory community to retain its competitive advantage. CQuIC will serve the National Quantum Initiative (NQI) Act by hosting focused workshops that target common problems, share lessons learned, and help to break logjams when they arise to push forward the goals of the NQI. The hub will be critical for education and training, with a focus on building a diverse and inclusive next-generation QIS workforce.
To achieve these goals, CQuIC will administer a prize postdoctoral fellowship program, host seminars, workshops, conferences, and a visitor’s program, and critically focus on synergistic research that brings together the principal investigators at UNM with its partnering institutions. The research will be anchored in tackling four “Big Questions” in contemporary QIS: I. What is the computational power of quantum matter? II. How do we efficiently represent quantum systems, and when do these representations lead to efficient classical algorithms? III. What quantum advantage can be achieved with Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum (NISQ) devices? IV. What near-term quantum algorithms and architectures can yield practical results? Postdoctoral fellows will provide the “connective tissue,” creating bridges between senior participants and bringing additional expertise to the Center. CQuIC’s intensely collaborative environment will provide the necessary incubator for the QIS-theory community to work to together to tackle the Big Questions. In addition, CQuIC will host a variety of hub activities that will bring together the community to interact, create, and tackle critical problems, and integrate this with education, training, and shared educational resources to help develop the next generation of quantum information scientists. Hub activities include the long-running SQuInT Annual Workshop, with a 25-year history of focus on building community for early-career scientists at a world-class conference. CQuIC will create outreach programs that focus on building diversity and inclusion of traditionally underrepresented groups in QIS.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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0.955 |