Self-consistent optimization of the zz-Expansion for BB meson decays

We discuss the self-consistency imposed by the analyticity of regular parts of form factors, appearing in the $z$-expansion for semileptonic $B$-meson decays, when fitted in different kinematic regions. Relying on the uniqueness of functions defined by analytic continuation, we propose four metrics which measure the departure from the ideal analytic self-consistency. We illustrate the process using Belle data for $B\rightarrow D\ell \nu_\ell$. For this specific example, the metrics provide consistent indications that some choices (order of truncation, BGL or BCL) made in the form of the $z$-expansion can be optimized. However, other choices ($z$-origin, location of isolated poles and threshold constraints) appear to have very little effect on these metrics. We briefly discuss the implication for optimization of the $z$-expansion for nucleon form factors relevant for neutrino oscillation experiments

Quantum mean estimation for lattice field theory

We demonstrate the quantum mean estimation algorithm on Euclidean lattice field theories. This shows a quadratic advantage over Monte Carlo methods which persists even in presence of a sign problem, and is insensitive to critical slowing down. The algorithm is used to compute $\pi$ with and without a sign problem, a toy U(1) gauge theory model, and the Ising model. The effect of $R_{Z}$-gate synthesis errors on a future fault-tolerant quantum computer is investigated.Comment: 14 pages, 18 figure

Automatic Evaluation of Turn-taking Cues in Conversational Speech Synthesis

Turn-taking is a fundamental aspect of human communication where speakers convey their intention to either hold, or yield, their turn through prosodic cues. Using the recently proposed Voice Activity Projection model, we propose an automatic evaluation approach to measure these aspects for conversational speech synthesis. We investigate the ability of three commercial, and two open-source, Text-To-Speech (TTS) systems ability to generate turn-taking cues over simulated turns. By varying the stimuli, or controlling the prosody, we analyze the models performances. We show that while commercial TTS largely provide appropriate cues, they often produce ambiguous signals, and that further improvements are possible. TTS, trained on read or spontaneous speech, produce strong turn-hold but weak turn-yield cues. We argue that this approach, that focus on functional aspects of interaction, provides a useful addition to other important speech metrics, such as intelligibility and naturalness.Comment: Accepted at INTERSPEECH 2023, 5 pages, 2 figures, 4 table

Applying NOX Error Mitigation Protocols to Calculate Real-time Quantum Field Theory Scattering Phase Shifts

Real-time scattering calculations on a Noisy Intermediate Scale Quantum (NISQ) quantum computer are disrupted by errors that accumulate throughout the circuits. To improve the accuracy of such physics simulations, one can supplement the application circuits with a recent error mitigation strategy known as Noisy Output eXtrapolation (NOX). We tested these error mitigation protocols on a Transverse Field Ising model and improved upon previous calculations of the phase shift. Our proof-of-concept 4-qubit application circuits were run on several IBM quantum computing hardware architectures. Metrics were introduced that show between 21\% and 74\% error reduction for circuit depths ranging from 14 to 37 hard cycles, confirming that the NOX technique applies to circuits with a broad range of failure rates. This observation on different cloud-accessible devices further confirms that NOX provides performance improvements even in the advent where circuits are executed in substantially time-separated batches. Finally, we provide a heuristic method to obtain systematic error bars on the mitigated results, compare them with empirical errors and discuss their effects on phase shift estimates.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figure

Quantum Simulation of an Open System: A Dissipative 1+1D Ising Model

The 1+1D Ising model is an ideal benchmark for quantum algorithms, as it is very well understood theoretically. This is true even when expanding the model to include complex coupling constants. In this work, we implement quantum algorithms designed for the simulation of open or complex coupling quantum field theories on IBM devices with a focus on the measurement of the Lee-Yang edge singularity. This feature corresponds (at large volumes) to a phase transition, and our successful reproduction of the transition represents a non-trivial test for current hardware and its ability to distinguish features of interest in quantum field theories.Comment: 9 pages, 9 figures, 2 table