Quantum Computing

Problem Set 1 Solutions

1. The basic unit of quantum information is the qubit. In this problem we will discuss a
single
qubit system.
You are given a qubit with a wave function given by |i = 21 + 2i |0i +


1
i
2 2 |1i
(a) The bra corresponding to this state is:




1
i
1
i
h| =

|0i +
+
|1i
2 2
2 2
(b)



 


1
i
1
i
1
i
1
i

+
+
+

2 2
2 2
2 2
2 2
  2  2  2  2
1
i
1
i
=

2
2
2
2
=1

h|i =

(c) The probabilities of obtaining the 0 or 1 states are:




1
i
1
i
1
P (0) = |v0 |2 = v0 v0 =
+

=
2 2
2 2
2



1
i
1
i
1
P (1) = |v1 |2 = v1 v1 =

+
=
2 2
2 2
2
(d)

1
1
h+|i =
2 2
1
= +
2 2
1
=
2

1
1
h|i =
2 2
1
= +
2 2
i
=
2
1



1
1
i
+

2 2 2
i
1
i
+
2 2 2 2 2 2
+

i
2




i
1
1
i
+

2
2 2 2
i
1
i
+
2 2 2 2 2 2

(e) |+i and |i are orthogonal:





1
1
1
1

h+|i =
+

2
2
2
2
1 1
=
2 2
=0
and normalized:
1 1
1 1
h+|+i = +
2 2
2 2
1 1
= +
2 2
=1



1
1
1 1

h|i = +
2
2
2 2
1 1
= +
2 2
=1
(f) Were going to use the previous part. Multiplying by h+| and h| respectively, we get
h+|i = h+||+i + h+||i
= h+|+i + h+|i
= (1) + (0)
=
h|i = h||+i + h||i
= h|+i + h|i
= (0) + (1)
=
(g) We already determined that = h+|i =
directly in our wave equation and obtain:

1
2

and = h|i =

|i = |+i + |i
1
i
= |+i + |i
2
2
(h) The probabilities in the new computational basis are:
1 1
1
P (+) = =
2
2 2


i
i
1
P () =

=
2
2
2
2

i .
2

We substitute

2. We explore matrix operations on a single qubit. We have:

#
" 1
i

2
i
2

U=

2
1
2

(a) The complex conjugate to U is

"

1
2
i2

U =

i2

i2

1
2

(b) The adjoint to U is

U = (U )T
" 1

i2

1
2

(c) We calculate U U to show that U is indeed unitary:

" 1
#" 1
i

UU =

2
2
i
1
2
2
1
1
2 + 2


=

1
2

0
+

i2


i2

1
2

1
2

=I
1
2

+ 2i |0i + 12 2i |1i:

 1

1
1 i
+ 2i
2
U |i =
1
i
2 i 1
2 2
"
#

(d) We evolve the wave function |i =

1+i

(e) We have:
"

1
2
i
2

i
2
1
2

0 i
i 0

U =
=

#"

1
2
i
2

i
2
1
2

We can calculate U 4 = U U U U = (U 2 )(U 2 ) because of the associativity of matrices:




0 i
0 i
4
U =
i 0
i 0


1 0
=
0 1
= I
3

(f) We can apply U twice to |i as U (U |i) = (U U )|i:


 1
0 i
2 +
(U U )|i =
1
i 0

 1+i  2
2
= 1+i

i
2
i
2

(g) We can express U as:

i
1
U = 0 + 1
2
2




i
1
1 0
0 1
+
=
2 0 1
2 1 0
" 1
#
i

=
Thus we have s0 =

1
2

and s1 =

2
i
2

2
1
2

i .
2

(h) We calculate U ZU as:






1
1
1 0
1 i
1 i

U ZU =
0 1
2 i 1
2 i 1



1 1 i
1 i
=
i 1
2 i 1


0 i
=
i 0

=Y