Implementation and verification of coherent error suppression using randomized compiling for Grover's algorithm on a trapped-ion device

Abstract: In near-term quantum computations that do not employ error correction, noise can proliferate rapidly, corrupting the quantum state and making results unreliable. These errors originate from both decoherence and control imprecision. The latter can manifest as coherent noise that is especially detrimental. Here, we study the impact of coherent errors and their mitigation under standard error-reduction techniques, both theoretically and experimentally on a trapped-ion quantum computer. As a representative case study, we implement a range of Grover's algorithm circuits containing up to 10 qubits and 26 two-qubit gates. We demonstrate the effectiveness of randomized compiling (RC) and algorithm error detection (ED), where the latter is realized via post-selection on ancillary qubits that ideally return to the ground state at the end of each circuit. Our results highlight a synergetic effect: combining RC and ED yields the largest reductions in errors, indicating that these methods can work together to extend the capabilities of near-term quantum devices for moderately deep circuits.