# Implementing displacement gates on X8

**URL:** <https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/implementing-displacement-gates-on-x8/8615>\
**Category:** Strawberry Fields\
**Created:** [June 11, 2025, 6:54pm UTC](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/implementing-displacement-gates-on-x8/8615 "2025-06-11T18:54:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![mhakimi](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex012/user_avatar/discuss.pennylane.ai/mhakimi/32/3804_2.png) [@mhakimi](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/u/mhakimi)\
**Post date:** [June 11, 2025, 6:54pm UTC](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/implementing-displacement-gates-on-x8/8615/1 "2025-06-11T18:54:50Z")

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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](https://github.com/Lucaman99/Quantum-Computing/blob/master/xanadu/cvqaoa.ipynb). From what I understand, X8 supports only passive linear optics operations — beam splitters, phase shifters, and interferometers — acting identically on signal and idler modes initialized as two-mode squeezed states.

My question is:

- Since CV-QAOA requires displacement gates (e.g., eipx^/ℏe^{i p \hat{x} / \hbar}eipx^/ℏ) and quadratic phase gates, is it correct that **displacements cannot be implemented on X8 at all**?
- Are there any known workarounds or approximations for implementing such active Gaussian gates on X8?
- Has Xanadu planned or implemented displacement operations on any of their hardware platforms beyond X8, like Borealis or lab testbeds?

Thanks in advance for any guidance!  
Mas

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**Author:** ![CatalinaAlbornoz](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex012/user_avatar/discuss.pennylane.ai/catalinaalbornoz/32/1196_2.png) [@CatalinaAlbornoz](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/u/CatalinaAlbornoz)\
**Post date:** [June 12, 2025, 7:50pm UTC](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/implementing-displacement-gates-on-x8/8615/2 "2025-06-12T19:50:34Z")

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Hi @mhakimi ,

I’ve provided an answer on [thread #1274](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/running-qaoa-on-x8/1274/7). Let’s keep the conversation there. In the future please only post in a single topic/thread. We monitor all posts so we’ll see your question in the first thread. That being said, if you have a new and unrelated question, please feel free to open a new topic for such question! 😃

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**Author:** ![mhakimi](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex012/user_avatar/discuss.pennylane.ai/mhakimi/32/3804_2.png) [@mhakimi](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/u/mhakimi)\
**Post date:** [June 24, 2025, 9:25pm UTC](https://discuss.pennylane.ai/t/implementing-displacement-gates-on-x8/8615/3 "2025-06-24T21:25:12Z")

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Hi @CatalinaAlbornoz,

Sure, thank you so much!