Improved T counts and active volume estimates for high-level arithmetic subroutines

Abstract

Surface code based quantum computers show great promise for fault-tolerant quantum computing, but most architectures needlessly increase the spacetime volume of a computation due to qubits sitting idly during a computation. Active volume architectures, with long-range connectivity, aim to remove idle spacetime volume leaving only the spacetime volume that logically contributes to a computation. In this work we optimise and derive the active volumes for several industry-leading low- and high-level arithmetic subroutines and achieve significant T-count reductions. We discuss a simple method for estimating and optimising active volumes using orientated ZX diagrams. We also demonstrate that circuit structure, beyond gate counts alone, impacts the active volume of a subroutine and therefore should be taken into consideration when designing circuits.