Abstract:

I will describe an experimental method for efficiently benchmarking quantum information processes.  The method is based on characterizing the survival probability under sequences of random quantum processes drawn from a unitary 2-design.  I will show how the protocol provides a reliable estimate of the average error-rate for a set of target operations (eg quantum gates) under a very general noise model that allows for both time and gate-dependent errors.  I will discuss the conditions under which this estimate remains valid and illustrate features of the protocol through numerical examples.