Driven by the significant advantages offered by quantum computing, research in quantum machine learning has increased in recent years. While quantum speed-up has been demonstrated in some applications of quantum machine learning, a comprehensive understanding of its underlying mechanisms for improved performance remains elusive. Our study address this problem by investigating the functional expressibility of quantum circuits integrated within a convolutional neural network (CNN). Through numerical experiments on the MNIST, Fashion MNIST, and Letter datasets, our hybrid quantum-classical CNN model demonstrates superior feature selection capabilities and substantially reduces the required training steps compared to classical CNNs. Notably, we observe similar performance improvements when incorporating three other quantum-inspired activation functions in classical neural networks, indicating the benefits of adopting quantum-inspired activation functions. Additionally, we developed a hybrid quantum Chebyshev-polynomial network (QCPN) based on the properties of quantum activation functions. We demonstrate that a three-layer QCPN can approximate any continuous function, a feat not achievable by a standard three-layer classical neural network. Our findings suggest that quantum-inspired activation functions can reduce model depth while maintaining high learning capability, making them a promising approach for optimizing large-scale machine-learning models. We also outline future research directions for leveraging quantum advantages in machine learning, aiming to unlock further potential in this rapidly evolving field.
Driven by the significant advantages offered by quantum computing, research in quantum machine learning has increased in recent years. While quantum speed-up has been demonstrated in some applications of quantum machine learning, a comprehensive understanding of its underlying mechanisms for improved performance remains elusive. Our study address this problem by investigating the functional expressibility of quantum circuits integrated within a convolutional neural network (CNN). Through numerical experiments on the MNIST, Fashion MNIST, and Letter datasets, our hybrid quantum-classical CNN model demonstrates superior feature selection capabilities and substantially reduces the required training steps compared to classical CNNs. Notably, we observe similar performance improvements when incorporating three other quantum-inspired activation functions in classical neural networks, indicating the benefits of adopting quantum-inspired activation functions. Additionally, we developed a hybrid quantum Chebyshev-polynomial network (QCPN) based on the properties of quantum activation functions. We demonstrate that a three-layer QCPN can approximate any continuous function, a feat not achievable by a standard three-layer classical neural network. Our findings suggest that quantum-inspired activation functions can reduce model depth while maintaining high learning capability, making them a promising approach for optimizing large-scale machine-learning models. We also outline future research directions for leveraging quantum advantages in machine learning, aiming to unlock further potential in this rapidly evolving field.
Deep learning has achieved significant success in pattern recognition, with convolutional neural networks (CNNs) serving as a foundational architecture for extracting spatial features from images. Quantum computing provides an alternative computational framework, a hybrid quantum-classical convolutional neural networks (QCCNNs) leverage high-dimensional Hilbert spaces and entanglement to surpass classical CNNs in image classification accuracy under comparable architectures. Despite performance improvements, QCCNNs typically use fixed quantum layers without incorporating trainable quantum parameters. This limits their ability to capture non-linear quantum representations and separates the model from the potential advantages of expressive quantum learning. In this work, we present a hybrid quantum-classical-quantum convolutional neural network (QCQ-CNN) that incorporates a quantum convolutional filter, a shallow classical CNN, and a trainable variational quantum classifier. This architecture aims to enhance the expressivity of decision boundaries in image classification tasks by introducing tunable quantum parameters into the end-to-end learning process. Through a series of small-sample experiments on MNIST, F-MNIST, and MRI tumor datasets, QCQ-CNN demonstrates competitive accuracy and convergence behavior compared to classical and hybrid baselines. We further analyze the effect of ansatz depth and find that moderate-depth quantum circuits can improve learning stability without introducing excessive complexity. Additionally, simulations incorporating depolarizing noise and finite sampling shots suggest that QCQ-CNN maintains a certain degree of robustness under realistic quantum noise conditions. While our results are currently limited to simulations with small-scale quantum circuits, the proposed approach offers a potentially promising direction for hybrid quantum learning in near-term applications.
Abstract Quantum Machine Learning (QML) has emerged as a promising paradigm that leverages the principles of quantum mechanics—such as superposition and entanglement—to overcome the limitations of classical machine learning in handling complex, high-dimensional data. However, practical challenges such as limited coherence times of qubits and the integration of quantum circuits with classical architectures have hindered the full realization of QML’s potential. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a novel hybrid architecture, termed the Classical-Quantum Hybrid Convolutional Neural Network (CQHCNN), which integrates quantum-inspired layers into conventional deep learning frameworks. These quantum layers utilize quantum information processing to extract complex features, while the classical components perform feature extraction and classification. This paper evaluates the performance of our model on several benchmark datasets, including MNIST, Fashion-MNIST, CIFAR-10 and COVID-19 Radiography, demonstrating its ability to outperform some other Quantum Convolutional Neural Networks (QCNNs) in terms of many metrics. Experimental results indicate that the hybrid model achieves significant improvements in classification accuracy and computational efficiency, highlighting the potential of quantum-inspired techniques to enhance classical machine learning models.
The objective of this research is to develop a Hybrid Quantum-Classical Convolutional Neural Network (QC-CNN) framework that integrates parameterized quantum circuits (PQCs) within classical CNN architectures to enhance image classification performance.The proposed model leverages quantum principles such as superposition and entanglement for high-dimensional feature representation, achieving superior accuracy and reduced computational complexity.Experiments on MNIST and CIFAR-10 datasets demonstrated improved classification accuracy of 98.7% and 82.5%, respectively, surpassing traditional CNNs while reducing training time by 33% and parameters by 45%.Statistical analysis confirmed the significance of these improvements.Visualizations using t-SNE revealed enhanced class separability, and noise perturbation tests validated the model's robustness.The results highlight the hybrid QC-CNN's potential for efficient and scalable quantum-enhanced deep learning applications.Extended evaluations, including quantum-layer-depth analysis, robustness testing, and t-SNE visualization, empirically support the hybrid QC-CNN's effectiveness across varied scenarios.
The integration of quantum computing principles with classical deep learning architectures has emerged as a promising direction for advancing image recognition systems beyond the limitations of purely classical convolutional neural networks (CNNs). This study proposes and analyzes a hybrid quantum–classical deep learning framework based on quanvolutional neural network (QNN) principles, where quantum circuits are embedded within convolutional feature extraction layers to enhance representation capability. The research investigates how quantum-enhanced filters, particularly quanvolutional layers, contribute to improved feature diversity, non-linear transformation capacity, and classification accuracy in image recognition tasks. Building upon established convolutional architectures and quantum machine learning theories, the proposed framework integrates quantum random circuit encoding with classical deep neural networks to evaluate performance gains in comparison to conventional CNN models. The study further incorporates theoretical insights from hybrid quantum-classical learning systems, emphasizing the role of parameterized quantum circuits in feature mapping and optimization stability. The methodology is grounded in NISQ-era quantum computing constraints and leverages hybrid optimization strategies to ensure computational feasibility. Experimental evaluation demonstrates that quanvolution-based models can provide improved robustness in feature extraction, particularly in high-dimensional image spaces, while maintaining competitive computational efficiency. However, scalability limitations and noise sensitivity in quantum circuits remain key challenges. Overall, this work contributes to the growing field of quantum-enhanced machine learning by providing a structured performance analysis of hybrid quanvolutional architectures and highlighting their potential role in next-generation intelligent visual recognition systems.
Recent advancements in quantum machine learning have spurred the development of hybrid quantum-classical convolutional neural networks (HQCCNNs), which have demonstrated promising potential for image classification tasks. Building on the operational principles of classical transposed convolutional neural networks (CNNs), we introduce a novel quantum variant: the Quantum Pseudo-Transposed Convolutional Neural Network (QPTCNN). The QPTCNN adapts the concept of classical transposed CNNs to the quantum domain, leveraging a hybrid quantum-classical framework that combines a quantum convolutional layer with a classical fully connected layer. In the QPTCNN, the quantum convolutional layer emulates a transposed convolution operation, ensuring that the output feature map retains the same dimensions as the input image. This is accomplished using rotational angle encoding and a ring-structured quantum circuit, interconnected by two-qubit control gates such as CNOT and CRY gates, facilitating efficient quantum convolution. We evaluated the performance of the QPTCNN on the MNIST and Fashion-MNIST datasets, with two distinct versions of the model: Model A, which utilizes a CNOT-gate entanglement circuit, and Model B, which employs a CRY-gate entanglement circuit. The results demonstrate that both Model A and Model B achieve strong performance across the datasets. However, Model A outperforms Model B, achieving higher classification accuracy and lower loss compared to earlier models. These findings suggest that the QPTCNN is highly capable of learning and extracting relevant feature information from input images, making it well-suited for high-performance image classification tasks. This work represents a significant advancement in quantum-enhanced image classification.
The integration of quantum computing principles with classical deep learning architectures has emerged as a promising direction for advancing image recognition systems beyond the limitations of purely classical convolutional neural networks (CNNs). This study proposes and analyzes a hybrid quantum–classical deep learning framework based on quanvolutional neural network (QNN) principles, where quantum circuits are embedded within convolutional feature extraction layers to enhance representation capability. The research investigates how quantum-enhanced filters, particularly quanvolutional layers, contribute to improved feature diversity, non-linear transformation capacity, and classification accuracy in image recognition tasks. Building upon established convolutional architectures and quantum machine learning theories, the proposed framework integrates quantum random circuit encoding with classical deep neural networks to evaluate performance gains in comparison to conventional CNN models. The study further incorporates theoretical insights from hybrid quantum-classical learning systems, emphasizing the role of parameterized quantum circuits in feature mapping and optimization stability. The methodology is grounded in NISQ-era quantum computing constraints and leverages hybrid optimization strategies to ensure computational feasibility. Experimental evaluation demonstrates that quanvolution-based models can provide improved robustness in feature extraction, particularly in high-dimensional image spaces, while maintaining competitive computational efficiency. However, scalability limitations and noise sensitivity in quantum circuits remain key challenges. Overall, this work contributes to the growing field of quantum-enhanced machine learning by providing a structured performance analysis of hybrid quanvolutional architectures and highlighting their potential role in next-generation intelligent visual recognition systems.