Dissipative self-interference and robustness of continuous error-correction to miscalibration

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that dissipative processes in open quantum systems can destructively interfere, leading to robustness of continuous error correction against miscalibration, and introduces a method for universal Lindbladian simulation.

Contribution

It derives an effective equation of motion showing dissipative interference in Lindbladians, establishing robustness of continuous quantum error correction to calibration errors, and presents a simple implementation of Lindbladian simulation.

Findings

Dissipative processes can destructively interfere without fine-tuning.

Continuous error correction is robust to certain calibration errors.

A simple method for universal Lindbladian simulation is provided.

Abstract

We derive an effective equation of motion within the steady-state subspace of a large family of Markovian open systems (i.e., Lindbladians) due to perturbations of their Hamiltonians and system-bath couplings. Under mild and realistic conditions, competing dissipative processes destructively interfere without the need for fine-tuning and produce no dissipation within the steady-state subspace. In quantum error-correction, these effects imply that continuously error-correcting Lindbladians are robust to calibration errors, including miscalibrations consisting of operators undetectable by the code. A similar interference is present in more general systems if one implements a particular Hamiltonian drive, resulting in a coherent cancellation of dissipation. On the opposite extreme, we provide a simple implementation of universal Lindbladian simulation.