Revisiting Nancy Cartwright's Notion of Reliability: Addressing Quantum Devices' Noise

TL;DR

This paper explores how classical notions of reliability and reproducibility need adaptation for quantum devices, introducing the concept of 'noisy reliability' to better assess quantum systems' trustworthiness amidst inherent noise.

Contribution

It proposes the concept of 'noisy reliability' to address the unique challenges of evaluating quantum device performance considering quantum noise and complexity.

Findings

Classical reliability concepts require adaptation for quantum systems.

Quantum noise significantly impacts reproducibility of quantum experiments.

Introduction of 'noisy reliability' as a new framework for quantum device assessment.

Abstract

This paper serves as an addendum to my previously published work, which delves into the experimentation with the Google Sycamore quantum processor under the title "Debating the Reliability and Robustness of the Learned Hamiltonian in the Traversable Wormhole Experiment." In the preceding publication, I extensively discussed the quantum system functioning as a dual to a traversable wormhole and the ongoing efforts to discover a sparse model that accurately depicts the dynamics of this intriguing phenomenon. In this paper, I bring to light an important insight regarding applying Nancy Cartwright's ideas about reliability and reproducibility, which are deeply rooted in classical scientific practices and experiments. I show that when applied to the realm of quantum devices, such as Google's Sycamore quantum processor and other Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum (NISQ) devices, these well-established notions demand careful adaptation and consideration. These systems' inherent noise and quantum nature introduce complexities that necessitate rethinking traditional perspectives on reliability and reproducibility. In light of these complexities, I propose the term "noisy reliability" as a means to effectively capture the nuanced nature of assessing the reliability of quantum devices, particularly in the presence of inherent quantum noise. This addendum seeks to enrich the discussion by highlighting the challenges and implications of assessing quantum device reliability, thereby contributing to a deeper understanding of quantum experimentation and its potential applications in various domains.