Work

Thermodynamic stability criteria for a quantum memory based on stabilizer and subsystem codes

Year: 2010

Type: article

Abstract: We discuss several thermodynamic criteria that have been introduced to characterize the thermal stability of a self-correcting quantum memory. We first examine the use of symmetry-breaking fields in analyzing the properties of self-correcting quantum memories in the thermodynamic limit; we show that the thermal expectation values of all logical operators vanish for any stabilizer and any subsystem code in any spatial dimension. On the positive side, we generalize the results of Alicki et al to obtain a general upper bound on the relaxation rate of a quantum memory at nonzero temperature, assuming that the quantum memory interacts via a Markovian master equation with a thermal bath. This upper bound is applicable to quantum memories based on either stabilizer or subsystem codes.

Source: New Journal of Physics

DOI: 10.1088/1367-2630/12/2/025013

Authors: Stefano Chesi, Daniel Loss, Sergey Bravyi, Barbara M Terhal

Institutions: University of Basel, IBM Research - Thomas J. Watson Research Center

Language: English

Topic: Quantum Computing Algorithms and Architecture

Subfield: Artificial Intelligence

Field: Computer Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,610

Funders: National Science Foundation, Universiteit van Amsterdam, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, European Social Fund