Systems and methods for interacting with a quantum computing system

Abstract

Systems and methods that employ interactions between quantum computing systems and digital computing systems are described. For an iterative method, a quantum computing system may be designed, operated, and/or adapted to provide a rate of convergence that is greater than the rate of convergence of a digital supercomputer. When the digital supercomputer is iteratively used to evaluate an objective function at a cost incurred of C per iteration, the quantum computing system may be used to provide the input parameter(s) to the objective function and quickly converge on the input parameter(s) that optimize the objective function. Thus, a quantum computing system may be used to minimize the total cost incurred C T for consumption of digital supercomputer resources when a digital supercomputer is iteratively employed to evaluate an objective function.

1 . A hybrid computing system comprising:
 a cryogenic refrigeration system that provides a refrigerated environment;   a superconducting quantum processor positioned within the refrigerated environment and cooled by the cryogenic refrigeration system; and   a superconducting digital processor positioned within the refrigerated environment and cooled by the cryogenic refrigeration system, wherein the superconducting digital processor is communicatively coupled to the superconducting quantum processor by a first communication channel.   
     
     
         2 . The hybrid computing system of  claim 1  wherein the first communication channel is a superconducting communication channel, and the superconducting digital processor is superconductingly communicatively coupled to the superconducting quantum processor by the first communication channel. 
     
     
         3 . The hybrid computing system of  claim 2  further comprising: a secondary digital processor positioned outside the refrigerated environment, the secondary digital processor communicatively coupled to at least one of the superconducting quantum processor or the superconducting digital processor by a second communication channel. 
     
     
         4 . The hybrid computing system of  claim 3  wherein a latency time for a communication between the superconducting quantum processor and the superconducting digital processor by the first communication channel is shorter than a latency time for a communication between the at least one of the superconducting quantum processor or the superconducting digital processor, and the secondary digital processor by the second communication channel. 
     
     
         5 . The hybrid computing system of  claim 3  wherein the secondary digital processor is a digital supercomputer. 
     
     
         6 . The hybrid computing system of  claim 1  wherein the cryogenic refrigeration system includes a dilution refrigerator that provides the refrigerated environment for the superconducting quantum processor and the superconducting digital processor. 
     
     
         7 . The hybrid computing system of  claim 1  wherein the superconducting quantum processor comprises two superconducting qubits, and a superconducting coupling device providing communicative coupling therebetween. 
     
     
         8 . The hybrid computing system of  claim 7  where the superconducting coupling device comprises a tunable diagonal coupler. 
     
     
         9 . The hybrid computing system of  claim 7  wherein the superconducting quantum processor is operable to perform at least one of quantum annealing or adiabatic quantum computation. 
     
     
         10 . The hybrid computing system of  claim 9  further comprising: at least one interface, and a programming system communicatively coupled by the at least one interface to the two superconducting qubits and the superconducting coupling device, the programming system operable to control the state of the superconducting quantum processor. 
     
     
         11 . The hybrid computing system of  claim 1  wherein the superconducting digital processor comprises at least one of single flux quantum logic circuitry or quantum flux parametron circuitry operable to perform digital information processing. 
     
     
         12 . The hybrid computing system of  claim 1  wherein the refrigerated environment comprises a housing, and the superconducting quantum processor and the superconducting digital processor are enclosed in the housing. 
     
     
         13 . The hybrid computing system of  claim 1  wherein the superconducting quantum processor and the superconducting digital processor are operable to perform a computational task comprising a quantum process and a digital process. 
     
     
         14 . The hybrid computing system of  claim 13  wherein the superconducting quantum processor and the superconducting digital processor are operable to perform the quantum process and the digital process in parallel with one another, the computational task further comprising a comparison of at least one result from each of the quantum process and the digital process, and a return of a result of the at least one result based on the comparison. 
     
     
         15 . The hybrid computing system of  claim 13  wherein the superconducting quantum processor is operable to perform the quantum process, and the superconducting digital processor is operable to perform the digital process. 
     
     
         16 . The hybrid computing system of  claim 15  wherein the superconducting quantum processor is operable to perform quantum annealing, and the superconducting digital processor is operable to perform simulated annealing. 
     
     
         17 . The hybrid computing system of  claim 13  wherein the superconducting quantum processor is operable to perform the quantum process, and each of the superconducting digital processor and the secondary digital processor is operable to perform the digital process, the computational task completable within a first and a second computation time respectively, wherein the first computation time is shorter than the second computation time. 
     
     
         18 . The hybrid computing system of  claim 13  wherein the computational task comprises a sampling process. 
     
     
         19 . The hybrid computing system of  claim 13  wherein the computational task comprises a process attempting to optimize a function. 
     
     
         20 . A hybrid computing system comprising:
 means for performing a computational task, the computational task comprising a quantum process and a digital process; and   means for providing a refrigerated environment for the means for performing the computational task.