Noah Stevenson L&S Sciences
Learning the quantum trajectories of two entangled qubits using a recurrent neural network
Theoretical and experimental evidence suggests harnessing quantum mechanics to execute algorithms on qubit-based quantum hardware may allow us to calculate answers to intractable mathematical problems and process data exponentially faster than is possible with classical computers. Characterizing how qubit states evolve in time is imperative for benchmarking quantum hardware, however has been difficult due to the inability to fully measure a quantum state without disrupting it. A solution is weak measurement, which recent work has improved for a single qubit by leveraging the data-processing power of a recurrent neural network (RNN). However to implement efficient algorithms on a quantum processor, the time evolution of multi-qubit states must be understood. I aim to improve measurement accuracy of the time evolution of entangled two-qubit states using an RNN, and determine the measurement-induced backaction and dissipation to calculate the Hamiltonian operator. My project will contribute to the fields ongoing research in determining the time evolution of qubits and assess a technique for improving measurement accuracy of quantum systems.
Message To Sponsor
To the McKinley Fund,
This summer, through my independent research on applying machine learning techniques to measurements of superconducting qubits, I made vast strides in learning to comprehend the literature, organize collaborations, overcome seemingly insurmountable technical challenges, and carefully interpret data. As I look towards graduate school as an opportunity to make meaningful and hard-earned progress in an impactful field, I feel immensely grateful for having been supported by you in what has been a momentous period of professional and personal growth. I made progress towards disseminating important results to my field via an academic publication and my senior thesis, but perhaps more importantly, I learned how to not flounder and keep both feet on the ground when given intellectual freedom and expectations to deliver high-impact results from my efforts. This is something that many physics graduate students struggle with in their third year as they move from a daily routine of classes to full-time research, but I feel like Im now equipped with the experience and motivation to take full advantage of the independence of graduate school. I remain focused on scientific work that aims to make clear the murky waters of the unknown, and am certainly not going to wait to dive into research in my first year of graduate studies. Thank you again for your generous support this summer; research fuels my curiosity, encourages me to ask questions, demands my improvement, and puts me among the accomplished and driven researchers teaching me how to navigate scientific understanding, and I will always be profoundly grateful to those that support me in my pursuit of it.
With gratitude,
Noah Stevenson