# Photonic Software **URL:** https://discuss.pennylane.ai/c/photonic-software/10.md [Latest](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/latest.md) · [Categories](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/categories.md) --- ## [About the Photonic Software category](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/about-the-photonic-software-category/21)
**Author:** [@josh](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/u/josh)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [November 16, 2018, 10:41pm UTC](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/about-the-photonic-software-category/21 "2018-11-16T22:41:42Z")
For discussion and questions regarding Xanadu’s photonic software offerings. --- ## [Validating Sub-Nanometer Regularization on Photonic Hardware via PennyLane-SF](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/validating-sub-nanometer-regularization-on-photonic-hardware-via-pennylane-sf/9486)
**Author:** [@AmrTorky](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/u/AmrTorky)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [September 3, 2026, 8:27pm UTC](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/validating-sub-nanometer-regularization-on-photonic-hardware-via-pennylane-sf/9486 "2026-09-03T20:27:08Z")
Hello PennyLane Community, My name is Amr Torky. I am an independent researcher working entirely alone in the fields of Sub-Nanometer Topological Quantum Lattice Engineering, Solid-State Wakefield Acceleration, and Acti… --- ## [Request for Access to Xanadu Cloud](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/request-for-access-to-xanadu-cloud/7911)
**Author:** [@drmaz](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/u/drmaz)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [October 1, 2026, 6:07pm UTC](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/request-for-access-to-xanadu-cloud/7911 "2026-10-01T18:07:27Z")
Dear Xanadu Team, My name is Adam, and I am a PhD researcher in Computer Science at Toronto Metropolitan University in Canada. My research focuses on quantum computing, and I am particularly interested in exploring phot… --- ## [MrMustard for GKP state preparation](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/mrmustard-for-gkp-state-preparation/9401)
**Author:** [@Amanuel](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/u/Amanuel)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [July 14, 2026, 12:44am UTC](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/mrmustard-for-gkp-state-preparation/9401 "2026-07-14T00:44:56Z")
Hello are there tutorials available for performing non-Gaussian state preparation with a GBS device using the latest version of the MrMustard library? I am trying to investigate the capabilities of MrMustard for heraldin… --- ## [How to compute fidelity between two squeezed coherent states in Strawberry Fields (bosonic backend)?](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/how-to-compute-fidelity-between-two-squeezed-coherent-states-in-strawberry-fields-bosonic-backend/9275)
**Author:** [@Orleans\_Cardoso](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/u/Orleans_Cardoso)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [February 27, 2026, 7:27pm UTC](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/how-to-compute-fidelity-between-two-squeezed-coherent-states-in-strawberry-fields-bosonic-backend/9275 "2026-02-27T19:27:11Z")
Hello everyone, I would like to compute the fidelity between two squeezed coherent states using the Strawberry Fields bosonic backend, but I am not sure about the correct method. As far as I understand, a squeezed cohe… --- ## [Hybrid backends: qubits and bosons](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/hybrid-backends-qubits-and-bosons/9232)
**Author:** [@Taha](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/u/Taha)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [February 25, 2026, 5:17am UTC](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/hybrid-backends-qubits-and-bosons/9232 "2026-02-25T05:17:54Z")
Hi, I hope that you are doing well. I am aware that a similar question has been asked before here: Hybrid qubit-qumode gate . Since the question was asked some years ago, I am checking for potential updates. I was cur… --- ## [Strawberryfields tutorials missing](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/strawberryfields-tutorials-missing/9223)
**Author:** [@Quantum\_Man](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/u/Quantum_Man)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [February 24, 2026, 3:34am UTC](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/strawberryfields-tutorials-missing/9223 "2026-02-24T03:34:47Z")
I find that some tutorials of the strawberryfields package are missing, e.g. https://strawberryfields.ai/photonics/demos/run\_quantum\_neural\_network.html What has happened? Does this mean that the strawberryfields packa… --- ## [Fock Backend truncation](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/fock-backend-truncation/3545)
**Author:** [@simon.williams](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/u/simon.williams)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [February 18, 2026, 10:20pm UTC](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/fock-backend-truncation/3545 "2026-02-18T22:20:36Z")
Hello, I am experimenting with the Fock Backend in StrawberryFields. I am looking to compare the results from a very simple circuit with analytical Fock state probabilities that I have calculated by hand. This is the cod… --- ## [Fock probabilities greater than 1 in circuits with GKP states](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/fock-probabilities-greater-than-1-in-circuits-with-gkp-states/2044)
**Author:** [@Francisco\_J\_Estrella](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/u/Francisco_J_Estrella)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [February 17, 2026, 10:14pm UTC](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/fock-probabilities-greater-than-1-in-circuits-with-gkp-states/2044 "2026-02-17T22:14:02Z")
Hi, I am running a circuit with two modes in which I prepare two logical 0 GKP states, using the GKP class with epsilon=0.125 on both modes, and have no gates acting on them. I noticed that when I plot the Fock probabi… --- ## [Polarization and OAM](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/polarization-and-oam/9222)
**Author:** [@apple\_jay](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/u/apple_jay)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [February 4, 2026, 11:21pm UTC](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/polarization-and-oam/9222 "2026-02-04T23:21:21Z")
Hello, I’ve been looking at the gates with Mr Mustard and I was wondering how changes in polarizations can be can be done or see if there was any guidance on how to apply orbital angular momentum for a light beam --- ## [Request for Xanadu Cloud Access - Photonic Quantum Research](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/request-for-xanadu-cloud-access-photonic-quantum-research/9226)
**Author:** [@jkc45621](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/u/jkc45621)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [January 29, 2026, 10:35pm UTC](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/request-for-xanadu-cloud-access-photonic-quantum-research/9226 "2026-01-29T22:35:19Z")
Hello Xanadu Team, I am an independent quantum computing researcher from South Korea, working on quantum error utilization techniques. I have developed and validated error mitigation methods on IBM superconducting syst… --- ## [X8\_01 Availability](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/x8-01-availability/9181)
**Author:** [@swhite](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/u/swhite)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [January 13, 2026, 4:58pm UTC](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/x8-01-availability/9181 "2026-01-13T16:58:23Z")
Hello, I was checking the X8\_01 device and it’s showing that the device is not online and wanted to see when the device would be available. I was running it during the times that were listed that it would be open. Thank… --- ## [Beamsplitter Connection](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/beamsplitter-connection/9154)
**Author:** [@Al\_Muktadir](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/u/Al_Muktadir)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [December 29, 2025, 7:44pm UTC](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/beamsplitter-connection/9154 "2025-12-29T19:44:47Z")
In photonic quantum computing hardware like borealis can we apply a beamsplitter between any two modes (it can be done in software) or is it limited to nearest neighbour qumodes? For example if I have 5 qumodes, can I ap… --- ## [Cannot import strawberryfields module](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/cannot-import-strawberryfields-module/4947)
**Author:** [@jdviqueira](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/u/jdviqueira)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [October 24, 2025, 11:12pm UTC](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/cannot-import-strawberryfields-module/4947 "2025-10-24T23:12:15Z")
Hello! When trying to import strawberryfields module, I have the following error import strawberryfields as sf # ImportError: cannot import name 'simps' from 'scipy.integrate' (/my\_path/conda/envs/strawberry.0.23/lib/… --- ## [Expectation value of state and operator in SF](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/expectation-value-of-state-and-operator-in-sf/9075)
**Author:** [@Bernard](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/u/Bernard)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [October 16, 2025, 7:38am UTC](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/expectation-value-of-state-and-operator-in-sf/9075 "2025-10-16T07:38:26Z")
Hi, I’m simulating the GKP state with StrawberryFields, and I want to calculate the expectation value of the GKP state (e.g., GKP(epsilon=0.1)) for some operators (e.g., Dgate). However, I didn’t find the established met… --- ## [Numerical accuracy of the simulator and the fidelity of the model relative to a physical implementation](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/numerical-accuracy-of-the-simulator-and-the-fidelity-of-the-model-relative-to-a-physical-implementation/8855)
**Author:** [@Antonio\_Aguiar](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/u/Antonio_Aguiar)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [August 4, 2025, 3:49pm UTC](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/numerical-accuracy-of-the-simulator-and-the-fidelity-of-the-model-relative-to-a-physical-implementation/8855 "2025-08-04T15:49:02Z")
Hello, good morning, dear colleagues. I have questions about the simulator’s numerical accuracy and the model’s fidelity compared to a physical implementation of simulations performed in the Strawberry Fields environmen… --- ## [Encoding graph into a GBS](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/encoding-graph-into-a-gbs/1913)
**Author:** [@Amanuel](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/u/Amanuel)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [July 21, 2025, 3:27pm UTC](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/encoding-graph-into-a-gbs/1913 "2025-07-21T15:27:15Z")
Hello I would like to clarify something about the process of encoding a graph into a GBS device. In paper such as this one it is said that once you have the doubled adjacency matrix \\tilde{A} of the graph you can map tha… --- ## [Running QAOA on X8?](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/running-qaoa-on-x8/1274)
**Author:** [@PetMai](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/u/PetMai)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [June 25, 2025, 3:48pm UTC](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/running-qaoa-on-x8/1274 "2025-06-25T15:48:51Z")
Hey together! i wanted to ask if it is possible to run QAOA on the X8 oder any other chip? Thanks for your help! Best Regards Peter --- ## [Implementing displacement gates on X8](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/implementing-displacement-gates-on-x8/8615)
**Author:** [@mhakimi](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/u/mhakimi)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [June 24, 2025, 9:25pm UTC](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/implementing-displacement-gates-on-x8/8615 "2025-06-24T21:25:12Z")
Hello! I’m trying to implement CV-QAOA for a cost function like f(x)=(x−a)2f(x) = (x - a)^2f(x)=(x−a)2 on the Xanadu X8 chip as per this notebook. From what I understand, X8 supports only passive linear optics operation… --- ## [Questions on starting on photonics quantum computing](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/questions-on-starting-on-photonics-quantum-computing/8352)
**Author:** [@jag](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/u/jag)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [April 14, 2025, 10:30pm UTC](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/questions-on-starting-on-photonics-quantum-computing/8352 "2025-04-14T22:30:27Z")
Hi, I have a few questions on photonics quantum computing. Since photonics quantum computing are continuous variable, are they also known as analog quantum computing? Am I right to say that a single qumode can in … --- ## [Equation Used for Fidelity in The Walrus Lib](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/equation-used-for-fidelity-in-the-walrus-lib/8406)
**Author:** [@Gabriel\_Moreira](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/u/Gabriel_Moreira)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [April 14, 2025, 10:00pm UTC](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/equation-used-for-fidelity-in-the-walrus-lib/8406 "2025-04-14T22:00:13Z")
Hello! While studying the fidelity between Gaussian states, I found this method fidelity() from The Walrus, which I would like to use: According to the documentation, this function implements the square of equation (9… --- ## [Request for Access to Xanadu Cloud for Research](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/request-for-access-to-xanadu-cloud-for-research/8360)
**Author:** [@RoeyHassin](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/u/RoeyHassin)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [April 4, 2025, 2:44pm UTC](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/request-for-access-to-xanadu-cloud-for-research/8360 "2025-04-04T14:44:55Z")
Dear Xanadu Team, My name is Roey, and I am a graduate researcher in Physics at Tel Aviv University in Israel. My research focuses on quantum computing, with a particular interest in photonic quantum systems. I am writ… --- ## [Questions regarding prog.circuit\_drawer() and 𝐿𝐴𝑇𝐸𝑋 Qcircuit package](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/questions-regarding-prog-circuit-drawer-and-qcircuit-package/8143)
**Author:** [@HYW](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/u/HYW)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [March 18, 2025, 7:05pm UTC](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/questions-regarding-prog-circuit-drawer-and-qcircuit-package/8143 "2025-03-18T19:05:20Z")
Hi, Could you provide me with a concrete example/tutorial for the usage of prog.circuit\_drawer()? I also don’t know how to properly install the 𝐿𝐴𝑇𝐸𝑋 Qcircuit package and use it. I would like to use both to draw my phot… --- ## [Discrepancy between state.fock\_prob() and the probability calcuated using MeasureFock() when simulating Scattershot Boson Sampling](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/discrepancy-between-state-fock-prob-and-the-probability-calcuated-using-measurefock-when-simulating-scattershot-boson-sampling/8069)
**Author:** [@Cheeranjiv\_Pandey](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/u/Cheeranjiv_Pandey)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [March 6, 2025, 9:43pm UTC](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/discrepancy-between-state-fock-prob-and-the-probability-calcuated-using-measurefock-when-simulating-scattershot-boson-sampling/8069 "2025-03-06T21:43:03Z")
Hello! I am trying to simulate a 4-mode SBS using the following code: # Setting up the experiment - 4 mode SBS r = 0.3 # squeezing parameter for S2 gate scattershot\_bs = sf.Program(8) with scattershot\_bs.context as q:… --- ## [How does Strawberry integrate with well-known machine learning libraries like Pytorch?](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/how-does-strawberry-integrate-with-well-known-machine-learning-libraries-like-pytorch/8067)
**Author:** [@RX1](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/u/RX1)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [March 4, 2025, 11:49pm UTC](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/how-does-strawberry-integrate-with-well-known-machine-learning-libraries-like-pytorch/8067 "2025-03-04T23:49:14Z")
Hi, I found a headache in that the photonic quantum circuits written in Strawberry cannot be converted to torchlayer, so it is not as convenient as pennylane. Also, running Strawberry took me 20 days to run through the p… --- ## [Experimental range of values of Kerr and cross-Kerr gate parameters](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/experimental-range-of-values-of-kerr-and-cross-kerr-gate-parameters/7986)
**Author:** [@Omar\_Ibna\_Nazim](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/u/Omar_Ibna_Nazim)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [February 11, 2025, 12:06am UTC](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/experimental-range-of-values-of-kerr-and-cross-kerr-gate-parameters/7986 "2025-02-11T00:06:39Z")
What are the state-of-the-art values of \\kappa in the experimental realization of the Kerr and cross-Kerr gates exp(i \\kappa n^2) and exp(i \\kappa n\_1 n\_2)? It would be great to know the gate time t and the nonlinear pa… --- ## [Ground state of Gaussian Hamiltons](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/ground-state-of-gaussian-hamiltons/7945)
**Author:** [@Amanuel](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/u/Amanuel)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [February 5, 2025, 2:37pm UTC](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/ground-state-of-gaussian-hamiltons/7945 "2025-02-05T14:37:36Z")
Hello, I am trying to find a way to compute the covariance matrix and vector of first moments of the ground state of an arbitrary Gaussian Hamiltonian of an N-mode system such as \\hat{H}=\\sum\_{i=1}^N c\_i\\hat{q\_i}^2 + d\_… --- ## [Problems in understanding sf.decompositions.triangular](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/problems-in-understanding-sf-decompositions-triangular/7875)
**Author:** [@Jakob](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/u/Jakob)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [January 29, 2025, 8:37pm UTC](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/problems-in-understanding-sf-decompositions-triangular/7875 "2025-01-29T20:37:45Z")
Hello! I have a confusion with the decomposition.triangular function from the strawberryfields package. I tried to decompose a matrix with it and then build the T-matrices “by hand” and multiply them together to obtain … --- ## [Access to Xanadu Cloud](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/access-to-xanadu-cloud/7913)
**Author:** [@drmaz](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/u/drmaz)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [January 29, 2025, 7:22pm UTC](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/access-to-xanadu-cloud/7913 "2025-01-29T19:22:08Z")
Hi Xanadu Team, I’m Adam, a PhD student in Computer Science at Toronto Metropolitan University, working on quantum-accelerated simulations for environmental modeling. Access to Xanadu Cloud would be invaluable for my ac… --- ## [Mr Mustard trainer issue with backend](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/mr-mustard-trainer-issue-with-backend/7747)
**Author:** [@Rahps97](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/u/Rahps97)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [December 21, 2024, 12:31am UTC](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/mr-mustard-trainer-issue-with-backend/7747 "2024-12-21T00:31:14Z")
Hi I am trying to run the map\_trainer example, got following error: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- RayTaskError(TypeError) Traceback (most recent call last) Cell In\[1\], line… [Next page](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/c/photonic-software/10.md?page=1)