Step-by-Step Derivation
1. Determine the ideal final state
The circuit consists of the sequence of operations \(U = (CNOT_{03}) (H_0) (CNOT_{21}) (H_2)\) applied to the initial state \(|\psi_{init}\rangle = |0000\rangle\). The operations are applied from right to left.
- Initial state: \(|\psi_0\rangle = |0000\rangle\).
- Apply \(H_2\) (Hadamard on qubit 2):
\[
|\psi_1\rangle = H_2 |\psi_0\rangle = |00\rangle \otimes \frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}(|0\rangle+|1\rangle)_2 \otimes |0\rangle_3 = \frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}(|0000\rangle + |0010\rangle)
\]
- Apply \(CNOT_{21}\) (control on 2, target on 1): This gate flips qubit 1 if qubit 2 is \(|1\rangle\).
\[
|\psi_2\rangle = CNOT_{21} |\psi_1\rangle = \frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}(CNOT_{21}|0000\rangle + CNOT_{21}|0010\rangle) = \frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}(|0000\rangle + |0110\rangle)
\]
- Apply \(H_0\) (Hadamard on qubit 0):
\[
|\psi_3\rangle = H_0 |\psi_2\rangle = \frac{1}{\sqrt{2}} \left( H_0|0000\rangle + H_0|0110\rangle \right) = \frac{1}{\sqrt{2}} \left( \frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}(|0\rangle+|1\rangle)_0|000\rangle + \frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}(|0\rangle+|1\rangle)_0|110\rangle \right)
\]
\[
|\psi_3\rangle = \frac{1}{2} (|0000\rangle + |1000\rangle + |0110\rangle + |1110\rangle)
\]
- Apply \(CNOT_{03}\) (control on 0, target on 3): This gate flips qubit 3 if qubit 0 is \(|1\rangle\).
\[
|\psi_{ideal}\rangle = CNOT_{03} |\psi_3\rangle = \frac{1}{2} (CNOT_{03}|0000\rangle + CNOT_{03}|1000\rangle + CNOT_{03}|0110\rangle + CNOT_{03}|1110\rangle)
\]
\[
|\psi_{ideal}\rangle = \frac{1}{2} (|0000\rangle + |1001\rangle + |0110\rangle + |1111\rangle)
\]
This is the pure quantum state produced by the circuit in the absence of errors.
2. Model the circuit with errors
The circuit contains two \(CNOT\) gates, each followed by a two-qubit depolarizing error channel. Let \(C_1 = CNOT_{21}\) and \(C_2 = CNOT_{03}\). The ideal unitaries between the CNOTs are \(U_1 = H_2\) and \(U_2 = H_0\). The error channel after a CNOT gate on qubits \(i,j\) is given by:
\[
\mathcal{E}_{ij}(\rho) = (1-p) \rho + p \sum_{P \in \mathcal{P}_{ij}^*} \frac{1}{15} P \rho P
\]
where \(\mathcal{P}_{ij}^*\) is the set of 15 non-identity two-qubit Pauli operators on qubits \(i\) and \(j\).
The evolution of the density matrix \(\rho\) from the initial state \(\rho_0 = |\psi_{init}\rangle\langle\psi_{init}|\) is:
- \(\rho_1 = U_1 \rho_0 U_1^\dagger\)
- \(\rho_2 = C_1 \rho_1 C_1^\dagger\)
- \(\rho_3 = \mathcal{E}_{21}(\rho_2) = (1-p)\rho_2 + \frac{p}{15}\sum_{P_1 \in \mathcal{P}_{21}^*} P_1 \rho_2 P_1\)
- \(\rho_4 = U_2 \rho_3 U_2^\dagger\)
- \(\rho_5 = C_2 \rho_4 C_2^\dagger\)
- \(\rho_{final} = \mathcal{E}_{03}(\rho_5) = (1-p)\rho_5 + \frac{p}{15}\sum_{P_2 \in \mathcal{P}_{03}^*} P_2 \rho_5 P_2\)
Let’s express \(\rho_{final}\) in terms of \(|\psi_{ideal}\rangle\).
Let \(U_{mid} = C_2 U_2\). The ideal state is \(|\psi_{ideal}\rangle = U_{mid} C_1 U_1 |\psi_{init}\rangle\). The density matrix before the second error channel is:
\[
\rho_5 = U_{mid} \mathcal{E}_{21}(C_1 U_1 \rho_0 U_1^\dagger C_1^\dagger) U_{mid}^\dagger
\]
\[
\rho_5 = (1-p) U_{mid} \rho_2 U_{mid}^\dagger + \frac{p}{15}\sum_{P_1} U_{mid} P_1 \rho_2 P_1 U_{mid}^\dagger
\]
Since \(\rho_2 = C_1 U_1 \rho_0 U_1^\dagger C_1^\dagger\), we have \(U_{mid} \rho_2 U_{mid}^\dagger = |\psi_{ideal}\rangle\langle\psi_{ideal}|\).
Let \(\tilde{P}_1 = U_{mid} P_1 U_{mid}^\dagger\). Since \(P_1\) acts on qubits {1,2} and \(U_{mid}=CNOT_{03}H_0\) acts on qubits {0,3}, they commute, so \(\tilde{P}_1 = P_1\).
\[
\rho_5 = (1-p) |\psi_{ideal}\rangle\langle\psi_{ideal}| + \frac{p}{15}\sum_{P_1 \in \mathcal{P}_{21}^*} P_1 |\psi_{ideal}\rangle\langle\psi_{ideal}| P_1
\]
Now we apply the second error channel \(\mathcal{E}_{03}\):
\[
\rho_{final} = (1-p)\rho_5 + \frac{p}{15}\sum_{P_2 \in \mathcal{P}_{03}^*} P_2 \rho_5 P_2
\]
Substituting the expression for \(\rho_5\):
\[
\rho_{final} = (1-p)^2 |\psi_{ideal}\rangle\langle\psi_{ideal}| + \frac{p(1-p)}{15}\sum_{P_1} P_1 |\psi_{ideal}\rangle\langle\psi_{ideal}| P_1 + \frac{p(1-p)}{15}\sum_{P_2} P_2 |\psi_{ideal}\rangle\langle\psi_{ideal}| P_2 + \frac{p^2}{15^2}\sum_{P_1,P_2} P_2 P_1 |\psi_{ideal}\rangle\langle\psi_{ideal}| P_1 P_2
\]
3. Calculate the fidelity
The physical state fidelity is \(F = \langle\psi_{ideal}|\rho_{final}|\psi_{ideal}\rangle\). Let \(|\psi\rangle = |\psi_{ideal}\rangle\).
\[
F = (1-p)^2 |\langle\psi|\psi\rangle|^2 + \frac{p(1-p)}{15}\sum_{P_1} |\langle\psi|P_1|\psi\rangle|^2 + \frac{p(1-p)}{15}\sum_{P_2} |\langle\psi|P_2|\psi\rangle|^2 + \frac{p^2}{15^2}\sum_{P_1,P_2} |\langle\psi|P_2 P_1|\psi\rangle|^2
\]
To evaluate the sums, we need to find which Pauli operators have non-zero expectation value with respect to \(|\psi\rangle\). A Pauli operator \(P\) has a non-zero expectation value \(\langle\psi|P|\psi\rangle\) only if \(|\psi\rangle\) is an eigenstate of \(P\). Since \(|\psi\rangle\) is a stabilizer state, this means \(P\) must be an element of the stabilizer group \(\mathcal{S}_\psi\) of \(|\psi\rangle\) (or \(-P \in \mathcal{S}_\psi\)). For such a \(P\), \(|\langle\psi|P|\psi\rangle|^2=1\). Otherwise, it is 0.
4. Determine the stabilizer group of the ideal state
The state \(|\psi\rangle = \frac{1}{2} (|0000\rangle + |1001\rangle + |0110\rangle + |1111\rangle)\) is a logical GHZ state in the [[4,2,2]] code. It is stabilized by the code’s stabilizers \(S_1=XXXX\) and \(S_2=ZZZZ\). It is also a logical Bell state, so it is an eigenstate of \(X_A X_B\) and \(Z_A Z_B\).
\(X_A X_B = (XIXI)(XXII) = I_0X_1X_2I_3\).
\(Z_A Z_B = (ZZII)(ZIZI) = I_0Z_1Z_2I_3\).
One can verify that \(|\psi\rangle\) is a +1 eigenstate of both \(IXXI\) and \(IZZI\).
The stabilizer group \(\mathcal{S}_\psi\) is generated by \(\langle XXXX, ZZZZ, IXXI, IZZI \rangle\).
A simpler set of generators can be found:
* \(g_1 = (XXXX)(IXXI) = X_0 I_1 I_2 X_3 = X_0X_3\)
* \(g_2 = (ZZZZ)(IZZI) = Z_0 I_1 I_2 Z_3 = Z_0Z_3\)
* \(g_3 = I_0 X_1 X_2 I_3 = X_1X_2\)
* \(g_4 = I_0 Z_1 Z_2 I_3 = Z_1Z_2\)
So \(\mathcal{S}_\psi = \langle X_0X_3, Z_0Z_3, X_1X_2, Z_1Z_2 \rangle\). This group consists of Pauli operators that are tensor products of a Pauli on {0,3} and a Pauli on {1,2}.
Let \(G_{03} = \langle X_0X_3, Z_0Z_3 \rangle = \{I, X_0X_3, Z_0Z_3, Y_0Y_3\}\) (up to phases).
Let \(G_{12} = \langle X_1X_2, Z_1Z_2 \rangle = \{I, X_1X_2, Z_1Z_2, Y_1Y_2\}\) (up to phases).
Then \(\mathcal{S}_\psi\) consists of products of elements from \(G_{03}\) and \(G_{12}\).
5. Evaluate the sums
- Sum over \(P_1 \in \mathcal{P}_{21}^*\): \(P_1\) acts on qubits {1,2}. We need to count how many non-identity Paulis on {1,2} are in \(\mathcal{S}_\psi\). These are the non-identity elements of \(G_{12}\): \(X_1X_2\), \(Z_1Z_2\), and \(Y_1Y_2\). There are 3 such operators.
\[
\sum_{P_1 \in \mathcal{P}_{21}^*} |\langle\psi|P_1|\psi\rangle|^2 = 1+1+1 = 3
\]
- Sum over \(P_2 \in \mathcal{P}_{03}^*\): \(P_2\) acts on qubits {0,3}. We need to count how many non-identity Paulis on {0,3} are in \(\mathcal{S}_\psi\). These are the non-identity elements of \(G_{03}\): \(X_0X_3\), \(Z_0Z_3\), and \(Y_0Y_3\). There are 3 such operators.
\[
\sum_{P_2 \in \mathcal{P}_{03}^*} |\langle\psi|P_2|\psi\rangle|^2 = 1+1+1 = 3
\]
- Sum over \(P_1 \in \mathcal{P}_{21}^*\) and \(P_2 \in \mathcal{P}_{03}^*\): The product \(P_2P_1\) is in \(\mathcal{S}_\psi\) if and only if \(P_1\) is one of the 3 non-identity elements in \(G_{12}\) and \(P_2\) is one of the 3 non-identity elements in \(G_{03}\). This gives \(3 \times 3 = 9\) pairs \((P_1, P_2)\).
\[
\sum_{P_1,P_2} |\langle\psi|P_2 P_1|\psi\rangle|^2 = 9
\]
6. Combine the terms to find the final fidelity
Substitute the values of the sums into the expression for \(F\):
\[
F = (1-p)^2 + \frac{p(1-p)}{15}(3) + \frac{p(1-p)}{15}(3) + \frac{p^2}{15^2}(9)
\]
\[
F = (1-p)^2 + \frac{6p(1-p)}{15} + \frac{9p^2}{225}
\]
\[
F = (1-p)^2 + \frac{2p(1-p)}{5} + \frac{p^2}{25}
\]
Now, expand and simplify the polynomial in \(p\):
\[
F = (1 - 2p + p^2) + \left(\frac{2}{5}p - \frac{2}{5}p^2\right) + \frac{1}{25}p^2
\]
\[
F = 1 + \left(-2 + \frac{2}{5}\right)p + \left(1 - \frac{2}{5} + \frac{1}{25}\right)p^2
\]
\[
F = 1 - \frac{8}{5}p + \left(\frac{25 - 10 + 1}{25}\right)p^2
\]
\[
F = 1 - \frac{8}{5}p + \frac{16}{25}p^2
\]
This expression is a perfect square:
\[
F = \left(1 - \frac{4}{5}p\right)^2
\]
Final Answer:
The physical state fidelity of the final 4-qubit state is \(F(p) = \left(1 - \frac{4}{5}p\right)^2\).