Dissipation in quantum error correction and algorithms

Dr. Ivan Rojkov

previous PhD student at the Trapped Ion for Quantum Information Group and now PostDoc at Yale university

Abstract

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Dissipation is often seen as an adversary in quantum technologies. Yet it appears in many forms, and a growing body of work is revealing that these forms have substantially different effects on quantum information processing. In this talk, I will argue that some types of dissipation are not only beneficial but are already implicit in standard quantum error correction and quantum algorithms. Drawing on advances in autonomous QEC and dissipative variational methods, I will show how dissipation simultaneously sets fundamental limits and offers new opportunities for reframing the goals of quantum information processing. In particular, I will illustrate how controlled dissipative processes can overcome key scalability barriers in stabilizing encoded information and in maintaining trainability in variational algorithms. Understanding and engineering these mechanisms may be essential for the next generation of robust, scalable quantum computing.