The quantum adiabatic algorithm suppresses the proliferation of errors

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that the quantum adiabatic algorithm inherently suppresses error proliferation during quantum state preparation, maintaining low-energy states despite errors, unlike traditional quantum circuits.

Contribution

It provides numerical evidence that adiabatic processes constrain error amplification, offering a potential advantage for reliable quantum computations with local Hamiltonians.

Findings

Errors do not significantly amplify during adiabatic evolution.

Low energy states can be preserved despite single error events.

Adiabatic processes differ from quantum circuits in error propagation.

Abstract

The propagation of errors severely compromises the reliability of quantum computations. The quantum adiabatic algorithm is a physically motivated method to prepare ground states of classical and quantum Hamiltonians. Here, we analyze the proliferation of a single error event in the adiabatic algorithm. We give numerical evidence using tensor network methods that the intrinsic properties of adiabatic processes effectively constrain the amplification of errors during the evolution for geometrically local Hamiltonians. Our findings indicate that low energy states could remain attainable even in the presence of a single error event, which contrasts with results for error propagation in typical quantum circuits.