Taming numerical errors in simulations of continuous variable non-Gaussian state preparation

TL;DR

This paper examines numerical errors in simulating continuous variable non-Gaussian quantum states, proposes an improved computational method, and analyzes various detection mechanisms for state preparation.

Contribution

It introduces an enhanced matrix exponential method for more accurate Fock space computations in quantum simulations.

Findings

Improved accuracy in truncated coherent displacement operator computation.

Comparison of detection mechanisms for non-Gaussian state engineering.

Insights into optimizing quantum state preparation protocols.

Abstract

Numerical simulation of continuous variable quantum state preparation is a necessary tool for optimization of existing quantum information processing protocols. A powerful instrument for such simulation is the numerical computation in the Fock state representation. It unavoidably uses an approximation of the infinite-dimensional Fock space by finite complex vector spaces implementable with classical digital computers. In this approximation we analyze the accuracy of several currently available methods for computation of the truncated coherent displacement operator. To overcome their limitations we propose an alternative with improved accuracy based on the standard matrix exponential. We then employ the method in analysis of non-Gaussian state preparation scheme based on coherent displacement of a two mode squeezed vacuum with subsequent photon counting measurement. We compare different detection mechanisms, including avalanche photodiodes, their cascades, and photon number resolving detectors in the context of engineering non-linearly squeezed cubic states and construction of qubit-like superpositions between vacuum and single photon states.