Quantum computing is an area of active research that could revolutionize computing. Researchers around the world are publishing new findings via papers available in PDF format. Here is an overview of some key quantum computing research papers and what they contain:
In 2014, Google published “Quantum supremacy using a programmable superconducting processor” discussing building a quantum computer better at a sampling task than any classical computer. Their quantum processor, called Sycamore, had 53 qubits cooled to 10 millikelvin. They implemented a random quantum circuit on Sycamore executing in 200 seconds what would take the world’s best supercomputer 10,000 years. This seminal paper demonstrated quantum advantage using a programmable quantum processor.
Microsoft published “Demonstration of Toffoli gates with no auxiliary qubits in superconducting circuits” in 2017 discussing implementing the multi-qubit Toffoli gate as a fundamental quantum logic operation critical to fault-tolerant quantum computation. Their implementation didn’t require costly auxiliary qubits and achieved higher fidelity than previous implementations getting closer to scalable, fault-tolerant quantum computing.
In 2019, researchers at Dartmouth published “Gaussian boson sampling” proposing and simulating a new model of quantum computation based on multi-mode interferometers of quantum harmonic oscillators that could demonstrate quantum speedups using continuous-variable cluster states of light. Though experimentally difficult, this paradigm could achieve quantum advantage with existing technology and may be easier to scale than qubit-based quantum computers.
The same year, scientists at the University of Science and Technology of China published “Variational quantum eigensolver for excited states of molecular systems” using the variational quantum eigensolver (VQE) algorithm to find low-lying excited states of molecular systems. Extending VQE beyond ground states opened exciting possibilities for quantum simulations of complex chemical and material systems. Their method was demonstrated on H2 and LiH molecules exhibiting clear quantum advantages over classical techniques.
Researchers at IBM published “Quantum computing in the NISQ era and beyond” in 2020 providing an accessible overview of quantum information science and NISQ-era quantum computing. They discussed qubit technologies, algorithms, error mitigation techniques, potential applications, and the long-term roadmap toward fault-tolerant universal quantum computers. This comprehensive review paper has become foundational for the field by introducing core quantum computing concepts.
A team from QuTech published “Observation of topological phenomena in a programmable lattice of 1,800 qubits” in 2021 reporting the building and programming of a two-dimensional array of artificial spin-1/2 particles to observe topological phenomena. Their 2D square lattice Hamiltonian engineered exotic phenomena like chiral edge modes through programmable spin-spin interactions. This scale of quantum simulator accomplished an important milestone in controlled synthetic quantum matter experiments.
In 2021, scientists at Google published “Quantum supremacy using a programmable superconducting processor” detailing their achievement of quantum supremacy on Sycamore, a programmable 54-qubit superconducting processor demonstrating a computational task inconceivable for a classical system. The benchmark sampling of the output of random quantum circuits executed in 200 seconds, something the world’s fastest supercomputers would require thousands of years for. This marked a pivotal milestone on the road to full-stack quantum computing.
These are just a handful of seminal, open access quantum computing research papers available in PDF format that demonstrate the progress, revelations and milestones achieved in recent years. As the field advances, expect many more such impactful findings reporting new algorithms, hardware prototypes, simulator experiments, and demonstrations of quantum speedup and advantage that bring the dream of fully realizing quantum computing’s potential much closer to reality.