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Completed TRL 3 (started at 2, targeting 3)
Quantum computing in theory has strong potential to become a viable technology for certain computational problems. However, quantum computers in practice are severely limited by noise. Noise occurs due to interactions with stray particles and imperfect implementations of logic gates. Too much noise effectively destroys quantum properties like superposition and entanglement that algorithms use to achieve speedups. The ultimate goal of this proposal is to develop quantum computing as a viable technology to solve difficult optimization problems in aeronautics and space exploration. The specific task in pursuit of this goal is to develop techniques to mitigate noise in current quantum computers and make them more useful such problems of practical interest.
This will be accomplished by developing software for quantum compiling and extending theoretical methods for near-term quantum error correction. Our methodology for quantum compiling is device-specific and will lead to finely-tuned algorithms designed to counteract the noise properties of specific quantum computers. Our software framework also utilizes fast heuristic methods for initial qubit routing as well as optionality for ""uncompiling,"" a novel technique which intentionally introduces small algorithmic errors to drastically reduce hardware errors. Additionally, we will extend and improve recent theoretical methods for ""near-term quantum error correction"" by using error correcting codes specifically tailored to current devices. These techniques will be evaluated by quantifying the improved performance when applied to practical optimization problems relevant for Earth and space sciences, mission planning, and pattern recognition.
Our proposed research is directly responsive to Technology Roadmap TA11.4: Information Processing. The techniques we develop will maximize the utility of near-term quantum computers, making them more viable as an information processing paradigm for hard computational problems. The combinatorial optimization problems we test these techniques on are directly relevant for searching, routing, and exploration tasks of interest to the mission of NASA. Our research will help to make quantum computing a transformative technology with positive impacts for NASA and the nation.
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