Thermodynamic Signature of Logical Depth in Quantum Circuits

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Author: Ibnouhsein, Issam
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Ibnouhsein, Issam
author_facet Ibnouhsein, Issam
contents We demonstrate that the internal logical structure of a quantum circuit can leave a distinct thermodynamic signature under progressive decoherence. By comparing deep, conditionally branching circuits with shallow, uniform counterparts-while controlling for overall halting probability and physical resources-we show that branching architectures induce greater entropy flow into the environment. This effect is captured by a logical depth factor $L_d$, which quantifies entropy accumulation during environmental interactions. We validate our framework through detailed analysis of two 4-branch quantum circuits, demonstrating greater entropy production with $L_d \approx 1.615$ for conditional versus uniform architectures. An ancilla-based experimental protocol using controlled-phase gates provides a concrete pathway for detecting these thermodynamic signatures on current quantum platforms. Our results establish logical depth as a physically measurable quantity with implications for circuit design, compilation strategies, and verification protocols.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2508_03203
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Thermodynamic Signature of Logical Depth in Quantum Circuits
Ibnouhsein, Issam
Quantum Physics
Computational Complexity
We demonstrate that the internal logical structure of a quantum circuit can leave a distinct thermodynamic signature under progressive decoherence. By comparing deep, conditionally branching circuits with shallow, uniform counterparts-while controlling for overall halting probability and physical resources-we show that branching architectures induce greater entropy flow into the environment. This effect is captured by a logical depth factor $L_d$, which quantifies entropy accumulation during environmental interactions. We validate our framework through detailed analysis of two 4-branch quantum circuits, demonstrating greater entropy production with $L_d \approx 1.615$ for conditional versus uniform architectures. An ancilla-based experimental protocol using controlled-phase gates provides a concrete pathway for detecting these thermodynamic signatures on current quantum platforms. Our results establish logical depth as a physically measurable quantity with implications for circuit design, compilation strategies, and verification protocols.
title Thermodynamic Signature of Logical Depth in Quantum Circuits
topic Quantum Physics
Computational Complexity
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.03203