QSCOUT (the Quantum Scientific Computing Open User Testbed) is pleased to announce our fourth call for user project proposals. QSCOUT is an open platform to explore the future of ion trap quantum computers. We allow users to engage with QSCOUT from many layers of the software stack, from pulse-level control to quantum algorithms. In collaboration with QSCOUT’s team at Sandia, users will have "white-box" access to the system, including calibration parameters, run-time details, results, and the ability to ask questions to the system operators. We can accommodate some special requests, such as noise injection, but such special requests are not guaranteed.
Emphasis on pulse level control
We will consider all proposal ideas, but we are particularly interested in proposals that make use of the pulse-level control capabilities of our system. This includes, but is not limited to, novel gate implementation, noise spectroscopy, and novel calibrations.
Pulse level control capabilities:
Our pulse-level control is exposed through “Jaqal Pulses and Waveforms”, aka JaqalPaw, a lightweight Python interface used to define the underlying waveform representation of gates, and exposes the full slate of features used internally by the QSCOUT experimental team. These features include simultaneous modulation of all waveform parameters (amplitude, frequency, and phase) on all channels and output tones, either via discrete updates, cubic splines, or piecewise mixtures of the two. Gate definitions are generated parametrically, such that the resulting gates depend on the latest calibration data as well as arbitrary user-defined inputs exposed to Jaqal. Such parametrization allows for non-trivial and on-the-fly calculations of Python-generated waveform data, and enables user-defined calibration or optimization routines in which sequences of parameter overrides can be specified for batch execution.
Additional control hardware features, such as automated phase synchronization and virtual Z gates, provide basic hooks for maintaining phase relationships with respect to qubits (without compromising absolute phase control) and simplify interoperability with QSCOUT’s built-in gate set. Moreover, these features reduce waveform data overhead, which allow for large depth circuits comprising gates with complex pulse definitions to enable a variety of advanced pulse-engineering techniques.
Proposal Deadline
Proposals due May 30, 2024, at 11 pm MDT (UTC-6).
Experiments expected to start August 2024. There is no guarantee that the system is available at this time.
Who can be a QSCOUT User – Individuals and teams from industry, academia, and government institutions from around the world are invited to submit proposals to use the QSCOUT testbed. As a DOE funded testbed, QSCOUT provides access to quantum computing resources and Sandia staff members at no fee to approved users for non-proprietary quantum information processing research.
What will be available – The QSCOUT testbed is based on hyperfine clock-state qubits stored in trapped ytterbium-171 ions. A quantum register is realized by a chain of ions trapped in a microfabricated surface ion trap. Single and two-qubit gates are realized using individually addressing Raman beams.
Specifications:
- Up to 11 qubits (currently hosting 6, but more will become available)
- Arbitrary-angle and arbitrary-phase single qubit gates, both serial and parallel addressing possible (expected 20 μs, 99.5% fidelity)
- Arbitrary-angle (-pi/2 to pi/2) and arbitrary-phase sequential two-qubit Mølmer-Sørensen gates (expected 250 μs, 96 % – 99 % fidelity depending on pair)
- Two-qubit gates can be between any pair of ions (fully connected)
- Beginning of circuit: all ions prepared in the |0〉 state of the z-basis
- End of circuit: all ions measured in the z-basis
- No mid-circuit measurements available
More details:
- Users shall program their circuits in Jaqal (Just Another Quantum Assembly Language) and may write pulse level gates using JaqalPaw (Pulses and Waveforms)
- For those wishing to program in qiskit or cirq, we also have noise-aware circuit compilation to Jaqal available through Superstaq
- Please note that pulse-level control will need to be programmed in JaqalPaw. Transpilation/compilation from other open-source pulse-level languages is not supported.
Scientific expertise at Sandia – Use of the QSCOUT system will be in collaboration with Sandia scientists who will help users implement their quantum computation, advise on the optimization of quantum programs for the QSCOUT system, and collaborate with users to understand the performance of the testbed system.
How to apply – Access to QSCOUT is obtained by submitting a QSCOUT collaboration proposal. These proposals are a concise statement of research that you desire to perform in collaboration with Sandia scientists using the QSCOUT platform. Potential users are encouraged to contact qscout@sandia.gov at any time during the proposal process to discuss requirements, collaborative efforts, and capabilities of the testbed system.
Proposal contents – Proposals must use the provided template and contain:
- A cover page stating title of proposal as well as name, affiliation, and contact information of the proposer
- A description of the proposed work containing (maximum 3 pages, letter sized, 11pt font, 1” margins on all sides):
- A statement of the scientific question being addressed in this collaboration proposal.
- A brief description of the state of research in this area and how the proposed work is advancing the field.
- Required capabilities and a reason why the QSCOUT testbed is the best system to conduct the proposed research.
- A statement of the expected impact of the proposed work.
- Figures supporting the description of proposed work.
- References (maximum 1 page)
A template for proposals is available in MS Word and Latex
Proposal selection – Proposals will be internally screened for feasibility to realize the proposed work on the testbed system and prioritized by a review panel based upon scientific merit and suitability of the proposed research for QSCOUT. The review panel will consist of scientists external to the QSCOUT project. Collaborative proposals with QSCOUT scientists are encouraged. An executed user agreement between Sandia National Laboratories and the user institution(s) must be in place prior to starting the approved project. Sample user agreement templates are available for Private Companies, Universities, and National Labs. Please make sure your institution is able to sign them as is. The project results should be published in peer-reviewed technical publications acknowledging use of the QSCOUT testbed. Joint publications with Sandia scientists are encouraged. Proposers not selected for access will be given brief feedback. Users will get a period of exclusive access to data produces for their projects, after which all QSCOUT user data will be made publicly available, if possible.
User proposal submissions – Please send your proposal for user access in Portable Document Format (pdf) to qscout@sandia.gov by the submission deadline, May 30th at 11 pm MDT (UTC-6). For questions please email qscout@sandia.gov.
Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC., a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International, Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-NA-0003525.