Skip to main content
Go to the home page of the European Commission (opens in new window)
English en
CORDIS - EU research results
CORDIS

Diagrammatic Quantum Computation

Project description

Simplifications open the door to complex quantum computations

Quantum computers will not only enable exponentially faster calculations but also provide a solution to problems not previously accessible. Relying on qubits associated with the quantum states of things like electrons or photons expands information storage capability way beyond the zeros and ones of conventional bits. It also significantly increases sensitivity to interactions with the external environment. Currently, computations are limited by the number of qubits, with the latest and greatest computers still having under 100. The EU-funded DQC project is developing advanced mathematical approaches and software tools for quantum circuit optimisation and quantum simulation. The tools will enable simplifications that both reduce susceptibility to noise and enhance the capabilities of small numbers of qubits.

Objective

Existing quantum computers are on the verge of solving practical problems that are intractable for classical computers. The obstacles that are holding current generation quantum computers back are their limited number of qubits and the presence of noise, both of which prohibit lengthy computations. Tools that decrease the size of a given computation can hence greatly increase the scope of problems current quantum computers can solve. This project will build such tools.
Firstly, we develop new methods and software for optimising quantum circuits. Secondly, we build powerful verification methods that ensure correctness of our optimisations. Thirdly, we develop classical simulators of quantum circuits to allow the testing of quantum computations.
While these might seem like disparate problems, in our approach they become aspects of a single problem which is solved by employing powerful graph-theoretic simplification methods that combine techniques from measurement-based quantum computation, tensor networks and the ZX-calculus. This allows us to develop simplifications that would be hard to find with previous methods.
In summary, this project unifies the problems of optimisation, verification and simulation of quantum circuits while improving upon the state-of-the-art.

Keywords

Programme(s)

Topic(s)

Funding Scheme

MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)

See all projects funded under this funding scheme

Call for proposal

(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2020

See all projects funded under this call

Coordinator

THE CHANCELLOR, MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD
Net EU contribution
€ 212 933,76
Address
WELLINGTON SQUARE UNIVERSITY OFFICES
OX1 2JD Oxford
United Kingdom
Region
South East (England) Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Oxfordshire
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Total cost
€ 212 933,76