Non-Variational ADAPT algorithm for quantum simulations

TL;DR

This paper introduces a non-variational ADAPT algorithm for quantum state preparation that uses energy gradients for operator selection, achieving chemical accuracy with potentially increased robustness and similar measurement costs as existing methods.

Contribution

It presents a novel non-variational approach combining ADAPT with energy gradient measurements, avoiding classical optimization and enhancing robustness in quantum simulations.

Findings

Achieves chemical accuracy with similar measurement costs as ADAPT-VQE.

Uses deeper circuits but maintains efficiency in molecular simulations.

Potentially more robust against circuit parameter errors.

Abstract

We explore a non-variational quantum state preparation approach combined with the ADAPT operator selection strategy in the application of preparing the ground state of a desired target Hamiltonian. In this algorithm, energy gradient measurements determine both the operators and the gate parameters in the quantum circuit construction. We compare this non-variational algorithm with ADAPT-VQE and with feedback-based quantum algorithms in terms of the rate of energy reduction, the circuit depth, and the measurement cost in molecular simulation. We find that despite using deeper circuits, this new algorithm reaches chemical accuracy at a similar measurement cost to ADAPT-VQE. Since it does not rely on a classical optimization subroutine, it may provide robustness against circuit parameter errors due to imperfect control or gate synthesis.