Recently, digitized-counterdiabatic (CD) quantum approximate optimization algorithm (QAOA) has been proposed to make QAOA converge to the solution of an optimization problem in fewer steps, inspired by Trotterized CD driving in continuous-time quantum annealing. In this paper, we critically revisit this approach by focusing on the paradigmatic weighted and unweighted one-dimensional MaxCut problem. We study two variants of QAOA with first and second-order CD corrections. Our results show that, indeed, higher order CD corrections allow for a quicker convergence to the exact solution of the problem at hand by increasing the complexity of the variational cost function. Remarkably, however, the total number of free parameters needed to achieve this result is independent of the particular QAOA variant analyzed for the problems considered.
Convergence of digitized-counterdiabatic QAOA: circuit depth versus free parameters
Passarelli G.;Cantele G.;Lucignano P.
2024
Abstract
Recently, digitized-counterdiabatic (CD) quantum approximate optimization algorithm (QAOA) has been proposed to make QAOA converge to the solution of an optimization problem in fewer steps, inspired by Trotterized CD driving in continuous-time quantum annealing. In this paper, we critically revisit this approach by focusing on the paradigmatic weighted and unweighted one-dimensional MaxCut problem. We study two variants of QAOA with first and second-order CD corrections. Our results show that, indeed, higher order CD corrections allow for a quicker convergence to the exact solution of the problem at hand by increasing the complexity of the variational cost function. Remarkably, however, the total number of free parameters needed to achieve this result is independent of the particular QAOA variant analyzed for the problems considered.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.