微软 量子系统_热混乱使量子系统回到了未知的过去

微软 量子系统

Building up on their last year’s breakthrough “time reversal” experiment, two researchers from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology and Argonne National Laboratory have published a new theoretical study in Communications Physics. While their previous paper dealt with a predefined quantum state, this time the physicists have devised a way to time-reverse the evolution of an object in an arbitrary, unknown state.

莫斯科物理技术学院和阿贡国家实验室的两名研究人员在去年突破性的“时间倒转” 实验的基础上 ，发表了有关通信物理的新理论研究 。 当他们的前一篇论文涉及预定义的量子状态时，物理学家这次设计出了一种方法，可以以时间逆转物体在任意未知状态下的演化。

Someday an improved reversal scheme could enable us to confirm the correct functioning of a quantum computer that is so powerful it would otherwise require an even bigger computer than itself to check, defeating the purpose.

有朝一日，经过改进的逆向方案可以使我们确认量子计算机的正确功能，而这种功能如此强大，以至于需要比其本身更大的计算机来进行检查，从而无法达到目的。

Chaos reigns over time

随着时间的流逝混乱

There’s a certain natural way the state of a quantum chip evolves if left to its own devices: from order to chaos. This is true about other things, too: With time, our bodies grow older, manmade structures deteriorate, and while an ice cube left on the dinner table invariably melts, another ice cube will certainly not pop into existence in a glass right out of the blue — although that might depend on what one has been drinking.

如果让量子芯片的状态留给自己的设备，它有一种自然的演化方式：从有序到混乱。 其他事情也是如此：随着时间的流逝，我们的身体会变老，人造结构会变质，餐桌上剩下的冰块总是会融化，但肯定不会再有一个冰块出现在玻璃杯中。蓝色-尽管这可能取决于一个人在喝什么。

Through everyday experience we acquire a sense of time based on the distinction between the generally more ordered past states and the typically more chaotic future states of closed systems — ones like a glass of water with an ice cube, where melting is a one-way process. Physicists refer to this as temporal asymmetry, or the arrow of time. It stems from the tendency toward disorder, formally expressed by the second law of thermodynamics.

通过日常经验，我们基于封闭系统的通常更有序的过去状态和通常更混乱的未来状态之间的区别来获得时间感，例如封闭的系统中的一杯水和冰块，其中融化是一个单向过程。 物理学家将此称为时间不对称或时间箭头。 它源于热力学第二定律正式表达的趋向无序的趋势。

“One of our breakthroughs, says one of the authors, Argonne’s Valerii Vinokur, is the realization — that we put in practice — that quantum computer is a piece of the real physical world but allowing for an unprecedented control over its evolution in time.”

“我们的突破之一，阿尔贡大学的Valerii Vinokur说 ，是我们的实践认识到，量子计算机是真实物理世界的一部分，但允许对其时间的发展进行空前的控制。”

Spell book of algorithms

算法拼写本

What many journalists hailed as a “time machine” last year was the physicists’ experiment that briefly reversed the arrow of time for a quantum computer. That is, the experiment consisted in the computer, initially in an ordered state, evolving toward greater chaos for a brief period of time. After that, the team used its time reversal algorithm to modify the computer’s state in such a way that it started tracing back whatever it had been doing previously, effectively evolving in reverse playback until it assumed the original ordered state.

去年，许多记者称其为“时间机器”是物理学家的实验，该实验短暂地扭转了量子计算机的时间之箭。 也就是说，实验是在计算机中进行的，最初处于有序状态，并在短时间内演变为更大的混乱状态。 此后，该团队使用其时间反转算法来修改计算机的状态，以使其开始追溯以前所做的一切，并有效地反向播放，直到呈现原始有序状态为止。

The catch was that one had to know the state of the computer at the moment when the time reversal algorithm kicked in, because it was not universal. “Even that felt like magic, but the reworked procedure is a whole different kind of genie, if you permit the analogy,” Vinokur commented. “Say you wanted to restore the Parthenon to its original splendor. The old genie would go, ‘Well, I can do that, but you have to give me some information. I want a perfectly detailed plan of the ruins as they are now.’ You see, that genie had no universal spell to turn back time. Instead, he had a great big book of spells, which you would have to leaf through together to find the right one. Very tedious fellow.”

问题是，在时间倒计时算法启动时，人们必须知道计算机的状态，因为它不是通用的。 Vinokur评论说：“即使感觉像魔术一样，但如果您允许进行类比，那么经过重新设计的程序就是一种完全不同的精灵。” “假设您想将帕台农神庙恢复到其原始的辉煌。 老精灵会说：“好吧，我可以做到，但是你必须给我一些信息。 我想要一个像现在这样完美的废墟计划。” 您会看到，那个精灵没有通用的咒语可以倒转时间。 取而代之的是，他有一本很大的咒语书，您必须一起阅读才能找到正确的咒语。 非常乏味的家伙。”

Image 2. Genie. Credit: Daria Sokol, MIPT Press Office

图2.精灵。 图片来源：MIPT新闻办公室Daria Sokol

Practically speaking, the problem with having to know which state you are reversing is the need to record it. This was not really an issue for the small computer made up of two or three quantum bits, which was used in last year’s study. But scaling up the experiment ramps up the memory requirements really fast: Each additional qubit doubles the amount of memory needed.

实际上，必须知道要反转的状态的问题是需要记录它。 对于去年的研究中使用的由两个或三个量子位组成的小型计算机，这并不是真正的问题。 但是扩大实验规模确实可以快速提高内存需求：每增加一个qubit，所需的内存量就会增加一倍。

To address this, the researchers came up with a universal algorithm, so now they have a beast of a genie to order around that is flexible enough to adapt to any scenario. No matter in which particular way a quantum system has deteriorated, he can do his magic trick and rewind it back to its “orderly” past. Admittedly, he will ask for tons and tons of marble and scorch it with the fires of hell, but it’s never simple with genies. Perhaps this one’s an afreet.

为了解决这个问题，研究人员提出了一种通用算法，因此现在他们有了一个灵巧的野兽，可以灵活地适应任何情况。 无论量子系统以哪种特定方式恶化，他都可以执行魔术，并将其倒回其“有序”的过去。 诚然，他会索要无数的大理石，并用地狱的烈火将其烧焦，但是对于精灵来说，这绝非易事。 也许这是一个自由。

Magician’s stage props

魔术师的舞台道具

Here is a thought experiment to guide you through the process. Imagine you took a bunch of water molecules and used them to make a very unique-looking snowflake in a perfectly airtight box. Only you know the shape of the snowflake. You leave the box at room temperature for some time, and this ruins the snowflake in it. With the new time reversal algorithm — and some fancy thermal manipulations — the researchers claim they could restore your snowflake to its original shape. Here is how.

这是一个思想实验，可以指导您完成整个过程。 想象一下，您拿了一束水分子，并用它们在一个完全密封的盒子中制成了非常独特的雪花。 只有你知道雪花的形状。 您将盒子在室温下放置一段时间，这会破坏其中的雪花。 利用新的时间倒转算法和一些奇特的热控制，研究人员声称他们可以将雪花恢复为原始形状。 这是怎么回事。

As conjuring tricks go, the physicists begin by complicating things a little with stage props: They will need an identical box with the same number of water molecules in it — remember the tons of marble. The water might be in a liquid or gaseous state, that is of no importance. You just have to guarantee that the two boxes contain the same stuff in the same amount. Now keep an eye on the sleight of hand that follows.

随着魔术的出现，物理学家首先用舞台道具使事情复杂化：他们需要一个装有相同数量水分子的盒子，记住大量的大理石。 水可以是液态或气态，这并不重要。 您只需要保证两个盒子包含相同数量的相同物料即可。 现在，注意接下来的手脚。

Once a twin box — also known as the auxiliary system — is available, the procedure involves four steps.

一旦有一个双盒(也称为辅助系统)可用，该过程涉及四个步骤。

Step 1: Thermalization. Bring the twin box to a very high temperature by putting it in contact with a very hot body, called a heat reservoir.

步骤1： 热化 。 通过将双胞胎箱与非常热的物体(称为储热箱)接触，使其达到很高的温度。

Step 2: Separation. Disconnect the heat reservoir.

步骤2： 分离 。 断开储热器。

Step 3: Manipulation. Run a so-called noncomplete quantum SWAP operation between the twin box and the original one.

步骤3： 操作 。 在孪生盒和原始盒之间运行所谓的非完全量子SWAP操作。

Step 4: Reiteration. Repeat steps 1 through 3 an ungodly number of times.

步骤4： 重复 。 重复执行步骤1至3的次数。

That sequence induces a time-reversed state of the original box with the ruined snowflake, meaning it will immediately begin backtracking its recent past until it assumes the initial state, freezing back into precisely the same shape you intended. Voila!

该序列会导致原始盒子的时间反转状态，其中雪花被破坏，这意味着它将立即开始回溯其最近的过去，直到它呈现初始状态，然后冻结为与您想要的形状完全相同的形状。 瞧！

The paper in Communications Physics provides a formula for how many times the above cycle has to be repeated to reverse the state of a given system with respect to time. That is, to nudge it in precisely the right way to ensure backward evolution from the current state toward earlier states in the past. In short, the number is huge, and it rapidly grows with the system’s complexity and with how far back in time it is supposed to go.

通信物理学中的论文提供了一个公式，说明必须重复上述循环多少次才能反转给定系统相对于时间的状态。 也就是说，以正确的方式微调它，以确保从当前状态向过去的早期状态向后发展。 简而言之，这个数目是巨大的，并且随着系统的复杂性以及应该追溯的时间而Swift增长。

Pimp my qubit

皮条客我的量子位

Granted the Parthenon will probably have to wait, but the team is optimistic about a possible experiment that would briefly time-reverse a simple computer comprised by a small number of quantum bits. With two qubits, for example, it would take at least 16 cycle repetitions, with three it is 64, and so on.

当然，帕台农神庙可能需要等待，但是研究小组对可能进行的实验进行了乐观，该实验可以短暂地逆转由少量量子位组成的简单计算机。 例如，如果有两个量子位，则至少要进行16次循环重复，其中三个要64次，依此类推。

Such an experiment is feasible with today’s technology, but the problem is that the publicly available machines — such as the IBM quantum computer used in last year’s study — do not support thermalization, which is the first step in the cycle. Come to think of it, expecting shared facilities to have specialized features of this kind is like asking your local car-sharing service for a jumping lowrider. So this time reversal experiment is awaiting a team willing to “pimp up” a quantum computer of its own, custom-fitting it with a big bad heat reservoir.

这样的实验对于当今的技术是可行的，但是问题在于，公开可用的机器(例如去年研究中使用的IBM量子计算机)不支持热化，这是周期的第一步。 试想一下，期望共享设施具有这种特殊功能，就像向您的本地汽车共享服务索要跳下的低底盘摩托车。 因此，这次逆向实验正在等待一个愿意“拉起”自己的量子计算机，并为它定制一个大的不良储热库的团队。

While quantum mechanics as such is notoriously counterintuitive, there is one aspect of the new time reversal algorithm that leaves even physicists scratching their heads. “In general, the hotter a system, the more disorganized it gets. So if you think about it, what we are doing is using a tool associated with utter chaos — the heat reservoir — to bring about order,” Andrey Lebedev explained. “We are repeatedly exposing the auxiliary system to an extremely high temperature with the ultimate goal of observing the primary system’s cold and ordered past. It is a paradox we have yet to get our heads around.”

尽管众所周知，量子力学是违反直觉的，但新的时间倒转算法的一方面却使物理学家无法自拔。 “总的来说，系统越热，系统越混乱。 因此，如果您考虑一下，我们正在做的是使用与完全混乱有关的工具-蓄热器-带来订单。” Andrey Lebedev解释说。 “我们反复将辅助系统暴露在极高的温度下，其最终目的是观察主系统的冷态和有序的过去。 我们还没有采取行动，这是一个悖论。”

How to test someone smarter than yourself

如何测试比自己聪明的人

Universal time reversal algorithms might be used in the future to verify that a quantum computer operates correctly, and quantum advantage has been achieved. The thing is, once a quantum computer is vastly more powerful than other computers, how do you confirm it’s not prone to errors without a comparable error-proof device?

将来可能会使用通用时间倒转算法来验证量子计算机是否正确运行，并获得了量子优势。 问题是，一旦量子计算机比其他计算机功能强大得多，您如何确定如果没有可比的防错设备，它就不会出错？

Once a 52-qubit machine runs an advanced quantum algorithm, it will output an enormously complex quantum state. The conventional way for making sure no errors have been made would require a complete description of the end state. However, it would be beyond the powers of humanity.

一旦52量子位的机器运行了先进的量子算法，它将输出一个极其复杂的量子状态。 确保没有错误的常规方法需要完整描述结束状态。 但是，这将超出人类的能力范围。

That is where universal time reversal algorithms come in. If you can run the computation in reverse and do not care about the end state you are “rewinding,” then there is no need to describe it. You just make sure you come back to precisely where you started.

这就是通用时间倒转算法的用武之地。如果您可以反向运行计算并且不关心正在倒带的最终状态，则无需描述它。 您只需要确保返回到刚开始的地方即可。

So when quantum computers start cranking out scientific discoveries, time reversal will come in handy to confirm those are valid conclusions about the world rather than a quantum glitch of epic proportions.

因此，当量子计算机开始研究科学发现时，时间倒转将非常有用，以确认这些是关于世界的有效结论，而不是史诗级的量子故障。

Originally published at https://mipt.ru.

最初发布在 https://mipt.ru。

翻译自: https://medium.com/@mipt/thermal-chaos-returns-quantum-system-to-its-unknown-past-816d2617a40b

微软 量子系统