Software compensation of trigger-synchronous control-frame errors in qubits and qudits
Quantum control experiments are often subject to coherent, time-dependent disturbances that vary over timescales comparable to the experiment duration. We show that when such disturbances are reproducible with respect to a trigger signal, their effect can be measured and compensated through software-defined updates to the control frequency and phase. We experimentally verify the performance of our protocol using a trapped $^{137}$Ba$^+$ ion experiencing magnetic-field-induced energy shifts synchronous with the laboratory AC mains power. Using this compensation technique, the calibrated AC line contribution to the instantaneous oscillator detuning is reduced by $21(9)\times$, and the fitted AC-induced phase amplitude is reduced below the measurement uncertainty. We use randomized benchmarking to validate the compensation performance in quantum gate sequences, recovering an average single-qubit gate fidelity of 99.93(1)\% with a magnetic-field-sensitive qubit. Finally, we extend the compensation framework to multi-level qudit control. Using the Bernstein-Vazirani algorithm as a benchmark, we increase the algorithm's success probability from 10(7)\% to 70(9)\% in a 16 level system when compensation is enabled. Our results demonstrate that trigger-synchronized coherent errors can be reframed as deterministic control-frame errors and corrected in software.
Authors
- Nicholas Zutt (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9185-1788)
- Collin J. C. Epstein (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-3867-2055)
- Crystal Senko (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6990-1294)
- Gaurav A. Tathed (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-4611-9946)
Publication Details
- Journal
- PRX Quantum
- Published
- 2026-11-06
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1103/6k5n-n6hs
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Quantum Computing Algorithms and Architecture
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.48
Funders
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada