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arXiv:2408.01506 · Quantum Science and Technology

Quantum noise modeling through reinforcement learning

Simone Bordoni, Andrea Papaluca, Piergiorgio Buttarini, Alejandro Sopena, S. Giagu, Stefano Carrazza

Published Nov 12, 2025• 3 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Abstract In the current era of quantum computing, robust and efficient tools are essential to bridge the gap between simulations and quantum hardware execution. In this work, we introduce a machine learning approach to characterize the noise impacting a quantum chip and emulate it during simulations. Our algorithm leverages reinforcement learning (RL), offering increased flexibility in reproducing various noise models compared to conventional techniques such as randomized benchmarking or heuristic noise models. The effectiveness of the RL agent has been validated through simulations and testing on real superconducting qubits. Additionally, we provide practical use-case examples for the study of renowned quantum algorithms.

DOI
10.1088/2058-9565/ae1e98

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Quantum circuit compilation is a crucial step in realizing quantum algorithms on real quantum hardware. Traditionally, compilation methods are largely static, relying on pre-defined mappings and optimizations that fail to account for the inherent noise and variability present in quantum devices. This paper proposes a novel approach leveraging Reinforcement Learning (RL) to dynamically generate and optimize quantum circuits. An RL agent is trained to learn a policy for circuit design, adapting to specific hardware characteristics and real-time measurement data. The agent's goal is to minimize the overall error rate of the compiled circuit. This dynamic compilation framework offers a feedback loop between hardware performance and circuit design, resulting in adaptive and robust quantum computation. The core claim of this work is that traditional static compilation methods are insufficient, and dynamic compilation driven by RL offers a superior solution. The approach presented here represents a significant advancement towards realizing the full potential of quantum computing by mitigating the effects of hardware imperfections. The framework includes a detailed description of the RL agent architecture, the reward function design, and the exploration strategy employed. The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated through simulations, highlighting its ability to outperform static compilation strategies in noisy environments.
Abstract Variational quantum machine learning algorithms have become the focus of recent research on how to utilize near-term quantum devices for machine learning tasks. They are considered suitable for this as the circuits that are run can be tailored to the device, and a big part of the computation is delegated to the classical optimizer. It has also been hypothesized that they may be more robust to hardware noise than conventional algorithms due to their hybrid nature. However, the effect of training quantum machine learning models under the influence of hardware-induced noise has not yet been extensively studied. In this work, we address this question for a specific type of learning, namely variational reinforcement learning, by studying its performance in the presence of various noise sources: shot noise, coherent and incoherent errors. We analytically and empirically investigate how the presence of noise during training and evaluation of variational quantum reinforcement learning algorithms affect the performance of the agents and robustness of the learned policies. Furthermore, we provide a method to reduce the number of measurements required to train Q-learning agents, using the inherent structure of the algorithm.
This paper presents a novel approach to quantum circuit compilation leveraging reinforcement learning (RL). The core idea is to train an RL agent to dynamically optimize quantum circuit structures, aiming to minimize gate count and enhance overall circuit performance. Traditional quantum circuit compilation methods often rely on static heuristics and pre-defined optimization strategies, which may not be optimal for all quantum algorithms or hardware platforms. Our approach addresses this limitation by allowing the RL agent to learn a policy that adapts to the specific characteristics of the algorithm and the target quantum hardware. The agent learns by interacting with a simulated quantum circuit environment, receiving rewards based on circuit fidelity, depth, and gate count. The results demonstrate the potential of RL to significantly improve the efficiency and robustness of quantum computations. The key components of the system are: a high-level quantum algorithm representation, an RL agent, a quantum circuit simulator, and a reward function. The agent's policy is represented as a neural network, enabling it to generalize across different algorithms and hardware. We demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach through simulations, showcasing its ability to outperform conventional compilation methods in terms of reducing circuit depth and gate count while maintaining high fidelity.
The progress in machine learning during the last decade has had a considerable impact on many areas of science and technology, including quantum technology. This work explores the application of reinforcement learning (RL) methods to the quantum control problem of state transfer in a single qubit. The goal is to create an RL agent that learns an optimal policy and thus discovers optimal pulses to control the qubit. The most crucial step is to mathematically formulate the problem of interest as a Markov decision process (MDP). This enables the use of RL algorithms to solve the quantum control problem. Deep learning and the use of deep neural networks provide the freedom to employ continuous action and state spaces, offering the expressivity and generalization of the process. This flexibility helps to formulate the quantum state transfer problem as an MDP in several different ways. All the developed methodologies are applied to the fundamental problem of population inversion in a qubit. In most cases, the derived optimal pulses achieve fidelity equal to or higher than 0.9999, as required by quantum computing applications. The present methods can be easily extended to quantum systems with more energy levels and may be used for the efficient control of collections of qubits and to counteract the effect of noise, which are important topics for quantum sensing applications.
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