PennyLaneAI / PennyLaneAI/catalyst

Use adjoint method as default grad method with lightning

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enhancement
Dominant language
Python
Stars
234
Forks
84
Avg merge
2d 15h
Merged PRs (30d)
66

Description

For compatibility reasons, the diff method in catalyst is set to parameter-shift when the user selects diff_method="best". The performance will generally suffer significantly on simulators as a result of this. Implement a device-aware choice to select adjoint if the device supports it.

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First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Trace how Catalyst handles diff_method="best" and where device capabilities are checked. Implement the device-aware selection so supported devices use adjoint while others retain parameter-shift, then verify both paths with the relevant tests.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
python
Domain
compilers
Issue type
Feature
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
45/100

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