Introduction to Quantum Computation Reliability

Abstract

An overview of the quantum computing paradigm with a focus on reliability is provided in a tutorial form intended for practitioners and researchers in the test and reliability community. It is assumed that readers have little prior knowledge of quantum informatics. An introductory description of the mathematical models of a qubit and quantum information processing operations and projective measurement is presented as background. Discussions of quantum error sources and associated fault models are included using the concepts and notation explained in the background section. Topics related to the decoherence problem are also included. The concept of a logical qubit and how quantum error detection and correction can be applied to enhance reliability of quantum computations is formulated using the notions of classical fault models and error detection and correction techniques. The general concept of quantum error detection and correction as applied to enhancing quantum computational reliability is discussed including an example of one of the first such methods originally introduced in 1995.