Amazon Braket Devices and Providers

Overview

Amazon Braket provides access to quantum computing hardware from multiple providers, as well as high-performance quantum simulators. This guide covers the available devices, their capabilities, and how to use them with QClojure.

Device Types

1. Quantum Simulators

• Cost: Lower cost, pay per shot
• Availability: Always available
• Use case: Development, testing, large circuit simulation

2. Quantum Processing Units (QPUs)

• Cost: Higher cost, pay per shot + per-task fees
• Availability: Limited scheduling windows
• Use case: Real quantum hardware experiments

Available Providers

Amazon (Simulators)

SV1 - State Vector Simulator

• ARN: arn:aws:braket:::device/quantum-simulator/amazon/sv1
• Max Qubits: 34
• Supported Gates: All standard gates
• Use Case: Exact simulation with full state vector
• Region: All Braket regions

TN1 - Tensor Network Simulator

• ARN: arn:aws:braket:::device/quantum-simulator/amazon/tn1
• Max Qubits: 50+
• Supported Gates: Limited set optimized for tensor networks
• Use Case: Large circuits with specific structure
• Region: All Braket regions

DM1 - Density Matrix Simulator

• ARN: arn:aws:braket:::device/quantum-simulator/amazon/dm1
• Max Qubits: 17
• Supported Gates: All gates + noise modeling
• Use Case: Noise simulation and error analysis
• Region: All Braket regions

Rigetti (Superconducting QPUs)

Aspen-M-3

• ARN: arn:aws:braket:us-west-1::device/qpu/rigetti/aspen-m-3
• Qubits: 80
• Topology: Limited connectivity (2D grid-like)
• Native Gates: RZ, RX, CZ
• Region: us-west-1
• Availability: Scheduled windows

Characteristics:

• Fast gate operations (~10-100 ns)
• Limited qubit connectivity requires SWAP gates
• Good for variational algorithms (QAOA, VQE)

IonQ (Trapped Ion QPUs)

Aria-1

• ARN: arn:aws:braket:us-east-1::device/qpu/ionq/aria-1
• Qubits: 25
• Topology: All-to-all connectivity
• Native Gates: RX, RY, RZ, XX
• Region: us-east-1
• Availability: Scheduled windows

Forte-1

• ARN: arn:aws:braket:us-east-1::device/qpu/ionq/forte-1
• Qubits: 32
• Topology: All-to-all connectivity
• Native Gates: RX, RY, RZ, XX
• Region: us-east-1
• Availability: Scheduled windows

Characteristics:

• High-fidelity operations
• All-to-all connectivity (no SWAP gates needed)
• Slower gate operations (~10-100 μs)
• Excellent for quantum algorithms requiring long-range entanglement

IQM (Superconducting QPUs)

Garnet

• ARN: arn:aws:braket:eu-north-1::device/qpu/iqm/garnet
• Qubits: 20
• Topology: Custom connectivity
• Native Gates: RZ, XY, CZ
• Region: eu-north-1
• Availability: Scheduled windows

Oxford Quantum Computing (OQC)

Lucy

• ARN: arn:aws:braket:eu-west-2::device/qpu/oqc/lucy
• Qubits: 8
• Topology: Ring connectivity
• Native Gates: RZ, RX, ECR
• Region: eu-west-2
• Availability: Scheduled windows

QuEra (Neutral Atom QPUs)

Aquila

• ARN: arn:aws:braket:us-east-1::device/qpu/quera/aquila
• Qubits: 256
• Topology: Analog quantum simulation
• Native Gates: Analog Hamiltonian evolution
• Region: us-east-1
• Availability: Scheduled windows

Characteristics:

• Large qubit count
• Analog quantum simulation paradigm
• Specialized for optimization problems
• Different programming model from gate-based systems

Device Selection in QClojure

By Device Type

;; Use simulator for development
(def sim-backend
  (braket/create-braket-simulator {:s3-bucket "my-bucket"}))

;; Use specific QPU
(def rigetti-backend
  (braket/create-braket-qpu "arn:aws:braket:us-west-1::device/qpu/rigetti/aspen-m-3"
                            {:s3-bucket "my-bucket"
                             :region "us-west-1"}))

By Provider

;; Get provider-specific information
(braket/get-provider-info sim-backend :rigetti)
;; => {:provider :rigetti
;;     :supported-gates #{:rz :rx :cz :i :measure}
;;     :constraints {:max-qubits 80, :native-connectivity :grid}
;;     :pricing-multiplier 1.0}

(braket/get-provider-info sim-backend :ionq)  
;; => {:provider :ionq
;;     :supported-gates #{:rx :ry :rz :xx :i :measure}
;;     :constraints {:max-qubits 32, :native-connectivity :all-to-all}
;;     :pricing-multiplier 2.5}

Hardware Optimization by Provider

The QClojure Braket backend automatically optimizes circuits for each provider:

Rigetti Optimization

• SWAP insertion: For non-adjacent qubit operations
• Gate decomposition: Complex gates → RZ, RX, CZ
• Topology mapping: Map logical to physical qubits

IonQ Optimization

• Native gate compilation: Use XX gates for entanglement
• All-to-all advantage: No SWAP gates needed
• Gate sequence optimization: Minimize operation time

IQM/OQC Optimization

• Provider-specific decomposition: Custom gate sets
• Connectivity constraints: Respect device topology
• Calibration data: Use latest device calibration

Device Availability and Scheduling

Checking Availability

;; Check device status
(braket/get-device-info backend "arn:aws:braket:us-east-1::device/qpu/ionq/aria-1")
;; => {:provider :ionq
;;     :status :online
;;     :availability-window {:start "2025-08-27T10:00:00Z"
;;                          :end "2025-08-27T18:00:00Z"}
;;     :queue-depth 5}

QPU Scheduling

• Most QPUs have scheduled availability windows
• Queue times vary based on demand
• Simulators are always available
• Some devices may be offline for maintenance

Cost Considerations

Simulator Pricing (approximate)

• SV1: $0.075 per shot
• TN1: $0.275 per shot
• DM1: $0.075 per shot

QPU Pricing (approximate)

• Per-shot fees: $0.00035 - $0.01 per shot
• Per-task fees: $0.30 - $3.00 per task
• Provider multipliers: Vary by device

Cost Estimation

;; Estimate cost before running
(qb/estimate-cost backend circuit {:shots 1000})
;; => {:total-cost 2.45
;;     :cost-breakdown {:shots-cost 0.35
;;                     :task-cost 3.00
;;                     :provider-multiplier 1.2}}

Best Practices for Device Selection

For Development and Testing

• Use Amazon SV1 simulator
• Unlimited shots for debugging
• Perfect for algorithm development

For Noise Studies

• Use Amazon DM1 simulator
• Built-in noise modeling
• Study error mitigation strategies

For Real Quantum Experiments

Choose Rigetti if:

• Circuit has limited connectivity requirements
• Need fast gate operations
• Working with variational algorithms

Choose IonQ if:

• Need high-fidelity operations
• Circuit requires long-range entanglement
• All-to-all connectivity is beneficial

Choose IQM/OQC if:

• Experimenting with European devices
• Specific to their unique capabilities
• Research collaboration requirements

Choose QuEra if:

• Working on optimization problems
• Need large qubit counts
• Analog quantum simulation approach

Device-Specific Examples

Rigetti Circuit Optimization

(def rigetti-circuit
  (-> (qc/create-circuit 3)
      (qc/h-gate 0)
      (qc/cnot-gate 0 2)))  ; Non-adjacent, will need SWAP

;; Backend automatically optimizes for Rigetti topology
(qb/submit-circuit rigetti-backend rigetti-circuit 
                   {:shots 1000
                    :optimize-for-device? true})

IonQ All-to-All Connectivity

(def ionq-circuit
  (-> (qc/create-circuit 5)
      (qc/h-gate 0)
      (qc/cnot-gate 0 4)    ; Direct connection possible
      (qc/cnot-gate 1 3)))  ; No SWAPs needed

(qb/submit-circuit ionq-backend ionq-circuit {:shots 1000})

Regional Considerations

Device Locations

• us-east-1: IonQ (Aria-1, Forte-1), QuEra (Aquila)
• us-west-1: Rigetti (Aspen-M-3)
• eu-north-1: IQM (Garnet)
• eu-west-2: OQC (Lucy)

S3 Bucket Placement

• Place S3 bucket in same region as target devices
• Cross-region transfers incur additional costs
• Results are automatically stored in your bucket

Monitoring and Troubleshooting

Device Status Monitoring

;; Get all available devices
(braket/list-devices backend)

;; Check specific device
(braket/get-device-info backend device-arn)

;; Check queue status  
(braket/get-device-availability backend device-arn)

Common Issues

Device Offline

• Check device availability windows
• Some devices have maintenance schedules
• Use simulators for development

Queue Delays

• QPUs can have long queue times
• Plan experiments during off-peak hours
• Consider using multiple devices

Regional Access

• Ensure your AWS account has access to device regions
• Some devices may have geographic restrictions

Further Resources

• AWS Braket Developer Guide
• Device Calibration Data
• Pricing Calculator
• Device Availability

For hands-on examples with different devices, see the Braket Tutorial.