Open Quantum Systems Applied to Quantum Computation

Dear Colleagues,

Open Quantum Systems (OQSs), which are quantum systems interacting with their environment, are increasingly being explored to enhance quantum algorithms. Recent studies show that, beyond being efficiently simulated on quantum devices, their unique properties—such as noise and dissipation—can actually be harnessed to improve algorithm performance and enable new applications.

In this context, new quantum algorithms have been specifically developed to simulate OQS dynamics, covering both Markovian and non-Markovian processes. These algorithms employ variational methods, path integrals, and unitary decompositions to efficiently model open system behavior on quantum hardware, often achieving significant resource savings compared to classical approaches. Variational and low-rank algorithms allow OQS simulations with fewer qubits and shallower circuits, making them particularly suitable for near-term quantum devices (NISQ era). Additionally, advances in quantum control of OQS have led to the development of algorithms that are more robust to noise and imperfections, outperforming traditional methods designed for closed systems and paving the way for practical quantum-enhanced technologies.

In this Special Issue, we intend to explore open quantum systems applied to quantum computation. The idea is to explore different perspectives: First, to investigate noise and dissipation for quantum algorithms, especially in certain quantum machine learning algorithms. Second, to propose OQS-based algorithms for realistic problems in chemistry, biology, and materials science, where environmental interactions are unavoidable and often essential to the phenomena under investigation. Finally, we expect to see manuscripts exploring quantum dissipative models, like open quantum walk models, quantum dissipative computation, tensor networks and hierarchical equations of motion.

Prof. Dr. Nadja Bernardes
Prof. Dr. Francesco Petruccione
Guest Editors

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