Engineering 670 Final Exam

Engineering 670
Answer Key Final Exam Fall 2020

Final Exam Answer Key: ENGINEERING 670 - Quantum Computing
Section 1: Multiple Choice
1. What is the primary purpose of a quantum gate?

o Answer: To perform a unitary operation on one or more qubits, modifying their
state.
2. Which of the following is NOT a property of quantum entanglement?
o Answer: It can be used to transmit information faster than the speed of light.
3. What is the mathematical representation of the superposition state for a single
qubit?
o Answer: |, where .
4. Which algorithm demonstrates exponential speedup over classical counterparts for
integer factorization?
o Answer: Shor's Algorithm.
5. What does the term "quantum decoherence" describe?
o Answer: The loss of quantum information due to interaction with the
environment.
Section 2: Short Answer
1. Explain the significance of the no-cloning theorem in quantum computing.

o Answer: The no-cloning theorem states that it is impossible to create an identical
copy of an arbitrary unknown quantum state. This principle underpins the security
of quantum cryptography and limits certain operations in quantum computing.
2. Differentiate between a pure state and a mixed state.
o Answer: A pure state is described by a single wavefunction , while a mixed state
is a probabilistic combination of pure states, represented by a density matrix .
Mixed states arise when there is uncertainty or partial knowledge about the
system.
3. Why are error-correcting codes essential in quantum computing?
o Answer: Quantum systems are susceptible to errors from decoherence and noise.
Error-correcting codes, like the surface code, protect quantum information by
encoding logical qubits into multiple physical qubits, enabling recovery from
errors without directly measuring the quantum state.
Section 3: Quantitative Problems
1. Given a qubit in the state , calculate the probability of measuring and .

o Solution:
Engineering 670
▪
Probability of : .
▪
Probability of : .
▪
Answer: .
2. Calculate the output state of a qubit after applying a Hadamard gate.
o Solution:
▪ Hadamard gate: .
▪ Initial state vector: .
▪ Output: .
▪ Answer: .
3. Derive the expected value of the Z operator for a qubit in the state .
o Solution:
▪ Pauli-Z matrix: .
▪ State vector: .
▪ Expected value: .
▪ Calculation: .
▪ Answer: .
Section 4: Essays
1. Describe the principles and applications of quantum key distribution (QKD).

o Answer: Quantum key distribution uses quantum mechanics to enable secure
communication. Protocols like BB84 rely on the properties of quantum
superposition and entanglement to detect eavesdropping. QKD guarantees
security because any attempt to measure the quantum states disturbs them,
alerting the communicating parties. Applications include secure communications
for governments, financial institutions, and critical infrastructure.
2. Explain the concept of quantum supremacy and its implications for classical
computing.
o Answer: Quantum supremacy refers to the point at which a quantum computer
performs a computation infeasible for classical computers in a reasonable time.
Demonstrated by Google's Sycamore processor, it highlights quantum
computing's potential for solving specific problems like optimization and
simulation. However, current quantum systems are noisy and limited in scale, so
practical applications are still emerging.
Section 5: Advanced Topics
1. Derive the unitary matrix for a controlled-NOT (CNOT) gate.

o Solution:
▪ A CNOT gate flips the target qubit if the control qubit is .
▪ Matrix representation:
▪ Answer: Unitary matrix shown above.
Engineering 670
2. Prove that quantum measurements collapse the wavefunction.
o Answer: Measurements project the quantum state onto one of the eigenstates of
the measurement operator. For a state , measuring in the basis gives outcomes
with probability and with probability . Post-measurement, the state collapses to
the observed eigenstate.
End of Answer Key

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Engineering 670

Answer Key Final Exam Fall 2020

Section 1: Multiple Choice

1. What is the primary purpose of a quantum gate?

Section 2: Short Answer

1. Explain the significance of the no-cloning theorem in quantum computing.

Section 3: Quantitative Problems

1. Given a qubit in the state , calculate the probability of measuring and .

1. Describe the principles and applications of quantum key distribution (QKD).

Section 5: Advanced Topics

1. Derive the unitary matrix for a controlled-NOT (CNOT) gate.

End of Answer Key

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