High Performance Quantum Circuit Simulation for Qiskit

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Aer is a powerful and efficient simulator for quantum circuits written in Qiskit. It provides realistic noise models and allows for the simulation of quantum circuits with high performance. In this article, we will explore the features and capabilities of Aer and discuss how to get started with using it.

Installation

To install Aer, we recommend using the pip tool, which is a Python package manager. Simply run the following command in your terminal:

#bash
pip install qiskit-aer

Pip will automatically handle all dependencies and install the latest version of Aer. If you prefer to install from source, please refer to the contribution guidelines for detailed instructions.

For users who require GPU support, Aer also offers GPU-supported simulators. To install the GPU-supported simulators on Linux, you will need to have CUDA® 11.2 or newer installed. CUDA® also requires specific GPU drivers, so make sure to follow the CUDA® installation procedure outlined in the NVIDIA® web.

To install the GPU-supported simulators, use the following command:

#bash
pip install qiskit-aer-gpu

If your system has CUDA® 11 installed, use the separate package qiskit-aer-gpu-cu11:

#bash
pip install qiskit-aer-gpu-cu11

Please note that the GPU-supported package is only available on x86_64 Linux. For other platforms with CUDA® support, you will need to build Aer from source. Refer to the contributing guide for instructions.

Simulating Quantum Circuits with Aer

Once you have Aer installed, you can start simulating quantum circuits with noise. Here is a basic example:

#python
import qiskit
from qiskit_aer import AerSimulator

# Generate 3-qubit GHZ state
circ = qiskit.QuantumCircuit(3)
circ.h(0)
circ.cx(0, 1)
circ.cx(1, 2)
circ.measure_all()

# Construct an ideal simulator
aersim = AerSimulator()

# Perform an ideal simulation
result_ideal = aersim.run(circ).result()
counts_ideal = result_ideal.get_counts(0)
print('Counts(ideal):', counts_ideal)
# Counts(ideal): {'000': 493, '111': 531}

In this example, we generate a 3-qubit GHZ state and perform an ideal simulation using Aer. The result includes the counts for each possible measurement outcome.

You can also simulate quantum circuits with noise using Aer. To do this, you will need to use a backend from an IBMQ provider. Here’s an example:

#python
from qiskit.providers.fake_provider import FakeManilaV2

# Construct a noisy simulator backend from an IBMQ backend
# This simulator backend will be automatically configured
# using the device configuration and noise model
backend = FakeManilaV2()
aersim_backend = AerSimulator.from_backend(backend)

# Perform noisy simulation
result_noise = aersim_backend.run(circ).result()
counts_noise = result_noise.get_counts(0)

print('Counts(noise):', counts_noise)
# Counts(noise): {'101': 16, '110': 48, '100': 7, '001': 31, '010': 7, '000': 464, '011': 15, '111': 436}

In this case, we create a simulator backend using the FakeManilaV2 backend from the IBMQ provider. The noise model is automatically configured based on the device configuration.

Contribution Guidelines

If you’re interested in contributing to Aer, please refer to our contribution guidelines. We follow Qiskit’s code of conduct and appreciate any contributions to the project.

Additional Resources

For more examples and documentation on Aer, visit the official Aer documentation. It provides a comprehensive guide to using Aer and explores various features and capabilities.

Authors and Licensing

Aer is a collaborative project with contributions from many individuals. You can find a list of contributors here. If you use Qiskit in your work, please cite it using the provided BibTeX file.

The project is licensed under the Apache License 2.0, ensuring transparency and compliance.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Aer is a powerful and efficient simulator for quantum circuits in Qiskit. It provides high-performance simulations, realistic noise models, and the ability to simulate quantum circuits with GPU support. With Aer, developers and researchers can explore and test quantum algorithms and applications with ease. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced user, Aer offers a range of functionalities to support your quantum computing endeavors.

If you have any questions or would like to learn more, don’t hesitate to reach out and ask. Happy simulating!

References

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