IP Library Granted Patent US 10,891,554
Granted Patent B2
US 10,891,554 · App. 16/258,082 · Granted Jan 12, 2021

Quantum processor with instance programmable qubit connectivity

Inventors: Richard G. Harris (North Vancouver, CA); Paul I. Bunyk (New Westminster, CA); Mohammad H. S. Amin (Coquitlam, CA); Emile M. Hoskinson (Vancouver, CA)
Assignee: D-WAVE SYSTEMS INC.
G06N10/00G06F15/82
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,891,554
App. No.
16/258,082
Granted
Jan 12, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

In a quantum processor some couplers couple a given qubit to a nearest neighbor qubit (e.g., vertically and horizontally in an ordered 2D array), other couplers couple to next-nearest neighbor qubits (e.g., diagonally in the ordered 2D array). Couplers may include half-couplers, to selectively provide communicative coupling between a given qubit and other qubits, which may or may not be nearest or even next-nearest-neighbors. Tunable couplers selective mediate communicative coupling. A control system may impose a connectivity on a quantum processor, different than an “as designed” or “as manufactured” physical connectivity. Imposition may be via a digital processor processing a working or updated working graph, to map or embed a problem graph. A set of exclude qubits may be created from a comparison of hardware and working graphs. An annealing schedule may adjust a respective normalized inductance of one or more qubits, for instance to exclude certain qubits.

Claims (46)

1. A computational method comprising:

receiving a hardware graph for a quantum processor by at least one processor;

receiving a working graph for the quantum processor by the at least one processor;

determining a first plurality of qubits in the hardware graph by the at least one processor;

determining a second plurality of qubits in the working graph by the at least one processor;

creating a set of excluded qubits from a difference of the first plurality of qubits in the hardware graph and the second plurality of qubits in the working graph by the at least one processor;

creating an annealing schedule to suppress the set of excluded qubits by the at least one processor; and

returning the annealing schedule by the at least one processor.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein creating an annealing schedule to suppress the set of excluded qubits comprises:

setting a coupling value to zero for at least one coupler in the hardware graph incident on at least one qubit in the set of excluded qubits.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein creating an annealing schedule to suppress the set of excluded qubits comprises:

setting a local bias value for at least one qubit in the set of excluded qubits.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein creating an annealing schedule to suppress the set of excluded qubits comprises:

adjusting a respective normalized inductance for at least qubit in the set of excluded qubits.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein adjusting a respective normalized inductance for at least qubit in the set of excluded qubits, further comprises:

lowering the respective normalized inductance for at least one qubit in the set of excluded qubits to below 1.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein adjusting a respective normalized inductance for at least qubit in the set of excluded qubits, further comprises:

raising the respective normalized inductance for at least one qubit in the set of excluded qubits to value above a respective normalized inductance for a qubit in the working graph.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein creating an annealing schedule to suppress the set of excluded qubits further comprising:

decoupling a qubit in the set of excluded qubits from an annealing signal.

8. A system for use in quantum processing, comprising:

at least one non-transitory processor-readable medium that stores at least one of processor executable instructions or data; and

at least one processor communicatively coupled to the least one non-transitory processor-readable medium, and which, in response to execution of the at least one of processor executable instructions or data:

receives a hardware graph for a quantum processor;

receives a working graph for the quantum processor;

determines a first plurality of qubits in the hardware graph;

determines a second plurality of qubits in the working graph;

creates a set of excluded qubits from a difference of the first plurality of qubits in the hardware graph and the second plurality of qubits in the working graph; and

creates an annealing schedule to suppress the set of excluded qubits.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the processor-executable instructions when executed further cause the at least one processor to:

adjust a respective normalized inductance for at least one qubit in the set of excluded qubits.

10. The system of claim 8 further comprising:

at least one quantum processor comprising:

a plurality of qubits;

a plurality of couplers, wherein each coupler provides controllable communicative coupling between two of the plurality of qubits;

a programming sub-system; and

an evolution sub-system.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the processor-executable instructions when executed further cause the at least one processor to:

initialize the quantum processor, via the programming sub-system, to an initial state; and

cause, via the evolution sub-system, the quantum processor to evolve from the initial state toward a final state characterized by a problem Hamiltonian, per the annealing schedule to suppress the set of excluded qubits.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the processor-executable instructions when executed further cause the at least one processor to:

adjust, via the evolution sub-system, a respective normalized inductance for at least qubit in the set of excluded qubits.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the processor-executable instructions when executed further cause the at least one processor to:

lower, via the evolution sub-system, the normalized inductance for at least one qubit in the set of excluded qubits to below 1.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein to adjust the normalized inductance for at least qubit in the set of excluded qubits the at least one processor:

raises, via the evolution sub-system, the normalized inductance for at least one qubit in the set of excluded qubits to value above a respective normalized inductance for a qubit in the working graph.

Assignments (5)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 11, 2025
From: PSPIB UNITAS INVESTMENTS II INC.
To: D-WAVE SYSTEMS INC.; 1372934 B.C. LTD.
Reel/Frame 070470/0098 →
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 14, 2023
From: D-WAVE SYSTEMS INC.; 1372934 B.C. LTD.
To: PSPIB UNITAS INVESTMENTS II INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 063340/0888 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 20, 2022
From: PSPIB UNITAS INVESTMENTS II INC., IN ITS CAPACITY AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: D-WAVE SYSTEMS INC.
Reel/Frame 061493/0694 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 3, 2022
From: D-WAVE SYSTEMS INC.
To: PSPIB UNITAS INVESTMENTS II INC.
Reel/Frame 059317/0871 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 9, 2020
From: BUNYK, PAUL I.; AMIN, MOHAMMAD H.S.; HARRIS, RICHARD G.; HOSKINSON, EMILE M.
To: D-WAVE SYSTEMS INC.
Reel/Frame 054591/0272 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation 15628963 · Jun 21, 2017
Continuation 14691268 · Apr 20, 2015
Provisional Application 61983370 · Apr 23, 2014
Related Publication 20190228331A1 · Jul 25, 2019
Cited By (2)
US 12,223,294 US 12,718,975