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 CT for consumption of digital supercomputer resources when a digital supercomputer is iteratively employed to evaluate an objective function.

1 .- 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method of operation of a hybrid computing system to perform a computational task, the computational task which includes a digital processing component and a quantum processing component, the hybrid computing system comprising a digital processor and a quantum processor, the digital processor and the quantum processor communicatively coupled to each other by a communication channel, the hybrid computing system further comprising a cryogenic refrigeration system that provides a refrigerated environment housing the digital processor, the quantum processor, and the communication channel, the cryogenic refrigeration system operable to cool the refrigerated environment to a temperature at which the digital processor, the quantum processor, and the communication channel become superconducting, the method comprising:
 causing the digital processor to perform the digital processing component of the computational task while the digital processor is superconducting;   causing the quantum processor to perform the quantum processing component of the computational task while the quantum processor is superconducting; and   causing a communication between the digital processor and the quantum processor via the communication channel while the digital processor, the quantum processor, and the communication channel are superconducting to reduce a latency of communication and thereby reduce an overall computation time of the computational task, wherein each of the digital processing component and the quantum processing component of the computational task include at least one of a respective determining of a candidate solution, a respective generating of a value, or a respective optimizing of a function.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the causing the quantum processor to perform the quantum processing component of the computational task includes causing the quantum processor to perform the quantum processing component of the computational task where the quantum processor comprises a pair of superconducting qubits, and a superconducting coupling device that provides a communicative coupling between qubits of the pair of superconducting qubits. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the causing the quantum processor to perform the quantum processing component of the computational task includes causing the quantum processor to perform the quantum processing component of the computational task where the quantum processor comprises a pair of superconducting qubits, and a superconducting coupling device which includes a tunable diagonal coupler and that provides a communicative coupling between qubits of the pair of superconducting qubits. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the causing the quantum processor to perform the quantum processing component of the computational task includes causing the quantum processor to perform the quantum processing component of the computational task by performing at least one of quantum annealing computation or adiabatic quantum computation. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the causing the quantum processor to perform the quantum processing component of the computational task includes:
 causing a programming of qubits of the pair of superconducting qubits; and 
 causing a programming of the superconducting coupling device, each of the programming the qubits and the programming the superconducting coupling device being performed via a respective programming interface. 
 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the causing the digital processor to perform the digital processing component of the computational task includes causing the digital processor to perform the digital processing component of the computational task on at least one of single flux quantum logic circuitry or quantum flux parametron circuitry. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the causing the quantum processor to perform the quantum processing component of the computational task includes causing the quantum processor to perform the quantum processing component of the computational task in parallel with the performing the digital processing component of the computational task on the digital processor. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising:
 causing a comparing of a respective result from each of the quantum processing component of the computational task and the digital processing component of the computational task; and   causing a returning of one of the respective results, as an output of the computational task, based at least in part on the comparing a respective result from each of the quantum processing component of the computational task and the digital processing component of the computational task.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 21  wherein:
 the causing the quantum processor to perform the quantum processing component of the computational task includes causing the quantum processor to perform a quantum annealing; and 
 the causing the digital processor to perform the digital processing component of the computational task includes causing the digital processor to perform a simulated annealing. 
 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the causing a communication between the digital processor and the quantum processor via the communication channel includes:
 causing a transmitting of data from the quantum processor to the digital processor, the transmitting of data which includes a transmitting of an output of the quantum processing component of the computational task; and 
 causing a receiving of the data from the quantum processor by the digital processor, the receiving of the data which includes a receiving of an input to the digital processing component of the computational task. 
 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the causing the digital processor to perform the digital processing component of the computational task includes causing the digital processor to perform a sampling process.