We describe a simple randomized benchmarking protocol for quantum information processors and obtain a sequence of models for the observable fidelity decay as a function of a perturbative expansion of the errors. We are able to prove that the protocol provides an efficient and reliable estimate of an average error-rate for a set operations (gates) under a general noise model that allows for both time and gate-dependent errors. We determine the conditions under which this estimate remains valid and illustrate the protocol through numerical examples.
@article{arxiv.1009.3639,
title = {Robust randomized benchmarking of quantum processes},
author = {Easwar Magesan and J. M. Gambetta and Joseph Emerson},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1009.3639},
year = {2011}
}