Any Unitary Gate Can Be Certified Device-Independently in a Quantum Network

Area of Science:

• Quantum Information Science
• Quantum Cryptography
• Foundations of Quantum Mechanics

Background:

• Device-independent (DI) certification verifies quantum systems using only observed statistics.
• Self-testing, the most robust form of DI certification, is well-established for quantum states and measurements.
• However, the self-testing of quantum operations remains a significant underdeveloped area.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate the feasibility of self-testing any quantum unitary operation within the DI paradigm.
• To establish a method for verifying quantum operations without relying on detailed internal structure assumptions.
• To provide a foundational step towards certifying quantum interactions directly from experimental data.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing the framework of quantum networks with multiple independent sources.
• Developing protocols for device-independent verification of quantum operations.
• Leveraging observed statistics to infer the performance of quantum unitaries.

Main Results:

• A proof-of-principle demonstration that any quantum unitary can be self-tested under the DI paradigm.
• Establishing a method applicable to quantum networks with multiple independent sources.
• Providing a pathway for certifying quantum interactions without detailed modeling.

Conclusions:

• This work represents a fundamental step towards device-independent certification of quantum operations.
• The developed method is crucial for ensuring the security and reliability of quantum processors.
• Enables direct data-driven verification of quantum gates, essential for advancing quantum computation.