Boson sampling with photons found to produce useful output in spite of photon leaks for quantum supremacy

A team of researchers from China, Germany and the U.S. has found that boson sampling with photons is a viable option for testing for quantum supremacy, despite photons leaking from a given test system. In their paper published in the journal Physical Review Letters, the group describes testing the idea using photons emitted from a quantum dot.

In the computer world, proving that a quantum computer will always outperform a classical machine when working on certain difficult problems is known as quantum supremacy. But as work progresses towards the development of a truly useful quantum computer, scientists continue to push the limits of traditional computers. As a result, researchers are exploring how to design and develop proper tests for comparing the types of architectures. In this new effort, the researchers looked into the idea of boson sampling with photons as a test for both machine types. Prior research on the idea suggested it would not be useful because of problems arising from photons leaking from the system.