In this paper, we present a novel quantum neural network (QNN) algorithm enhanced with transfer learning to perform multi-class image classification. The proposed QNN extracts quantum image encoding measurements through the quantum state tomography framework and passes the sampled features through the classical neural network architecture to the proposed learnable parameterized quantum circuit (PQC) followed by gradient update via quantum backpropagation. We benchmark three different PQCs to demonstrate that our proposed algorithm outperforms similar classical CNN architecture in test accuracy on CIFAR10 and MNIST datasets. Present results more prominently establish the success of PQC designs which will be further used in the design of 2D quantum convolutional neural network (QCNN).
In this paper, we present a novel quantum neural network (QNN) algorithm enhanced with transfer learning to perform multi-class image classification. The proposed QNN extracts quantum image encoding measurements through the quantum state tomography framework and passes the sampled features through the classical neural network architecture to the proposed learnable parameterized quantum circuit (PQC) followed by gradient update via quantum backpropagation. We benchmark three different PQCs to demonstrate that our proposed algorithm outperforms similar classical CNN architecture in test accuracy on CIFAR10 and MNIST datasets. Present results more prominently establish the success of PQC designs which will be further used in the design of 2D quantum convolutional neural network (QCNN).
Quantum neural networks (QNNs) integrate the advantages of quantum information with the formidable capabilities of classical neural networks, exhibiting notable potential in image classification tasks. However, the performance of current QNNs in processing multi-class image classification tasks still leaves room for improvement. In this paper, we propose three QNN architectures to enhance the accuracy of multi-class image classification by utilizing techniques of overparameterization, dense pooling, and local feature extraction. These networks are capable of mapping conventional data to the amplitudes of quantum states via amplitude encoding, eschewing the need for traditional dimensionality reduction techniques. Following processing with parameterized quantum circuits (PQCs), we conduct quantum measurements to extract feature information. We validate the proposed architectures using the MNIST dataset for eight-class image classification problems. The experimental results unequivocally demonstrate that the three techniques we employed significantly enhance the accuracy of QNNs in multi-class image classification tasks.
Image classification plays a critical role across various industries, yet the rapid growth of visual data has significantly increased computational complexity. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have demonstrated strong capabilities in efficient feature extraction, but they still face trade‐offs between performance and computational cost when handling large‐scale data. Recent studies have explored integrating quantum mechanical principles into classical CNNs to enhance model expressivity. However, existing hybrid quantum–classical convolutional architectures remain limited in terms of feature capture and computational efficiency. In this study, we propose a novel hybrid quantum–classical convolutional neural network (QC‐CNN‐Parallel), which introduces parallel quantum and classical convolutional branches and extends the concept of multiscale convolution to hybrid networks. This design enables the capture of larger contextual information during convolution while reducing circuit depth and computational overhead. Moreover, we employ parameterized quantum circuits (PQCs) with expressibility, entanglement, and discreteness metrics to select optimal quantum circuits and further enhance model performance. We evaluate QC‐CNN‐Parallel on three grayscale image datasets: MNIST, Fashion‐MNIST, and Overhead‐MNIST. Experimental results show that our model improves average training accuracy by 4.89%, 2.77%, and 6.24% over existing hybrid quantum CNNs and classical CNNs, respectively, while exhibiting superior robustness. These results demonstrate that QC‐CNN‐Parallel achieves enhanced classification performance with high computational efficiency and practical potential.
Image classification is a fundamental task in deep learning, and recent advances in quantum computing have generated significant interest in quantum neural networks. Traditionally, Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) are employed to extract image features, while Multilayer Perceptrons (MLPs) handle decision making. However, parameterized quantum circuits offer the potential to capture complex image features and define sophisticated decision boundaries. In this paper, we present a novel Hybrid Quantum–Classical Neural Network (H-QNN) for image classification, and demonstrate its effectiveness using the MNIST dataset. Our model combines quantum computing with classical supervised learning to enhance classification accuracy and computational efficiency. In this study, we detail the architecture of the H-QNN, emphasizing its capability in feature learning and image classification. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed H-QNN model outperforms conventional deep learning methods in various training scenarios, showcasing its effectiveness in high-dimensional image classification tasks. Additionally, we explore the broader applicability of hybrid quantum–classical approaches in other domains. Our findings contribute to the growing body of work in quantum machine learning, and underscore the potential of quantum-enhanced models for image recognition and classification.
Quantum machine learning is emerging as a strategy to solve real-world problems. As a quantum computing model, parameterized quantum circuits provide an approach for constructing quantum machine learning algorithms, which may either realize computational acceleration or achieve better algorithm performance than classical algorithms. Based on the parameterized quantum circuit, we propose a hybrid quantum-classical convolutional neural network (HQCCNN) model for image classification that comprises both quantum and classical components. The quantum convolutional layer is designed using a parameterized quantum circuit. It is used to perform linear unitary transformation on the quantum state to extract hidden information. In addition, the quantum pooling unit is used to perform pooling operations. After the evolution of the quantum system, we measure the quantum state and input the measurement results into a classical fully connected layer for further processing. We demonstrate its potential by applying HQCCNN to the MNIST dataset. Compared to a convolutional neural network in a similar architecture, the results reveal that HQCCNN has a faster training speed and higher testing set accuracy than a convolutional neural network.
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.
We redesign the parameterized quantum circuit in the quantum deep neural network, construct a three-layer structure as the hidden layer, and then use classical optimization algorithms to train the parameterized quantum circuit, thereby propose a novel hybrid quantum deep neural network (HQDNN) used for image classification. After bilinear interpolation reduces the original image to a suitable size, an improved novel enhanced quantum representation (INEQR) is used to encode it into quantum states as the input of the HQDNN. Multi-layer parameterized quantum circuits are used as the main structure to implement feature extraction and classification. The output results of parameterized quantum circuits are converted into classical data through quantum measurements and then optimized on a classical computer. To verify the performance of the HQDNN, we conduct binary classification and three classification experiments on the MNIST (Modified National Institute of Standards and Technology) data set. In the first binary classification, the accuracy of 0 and 4 exceeds 98%. Then we compare the performance of three classification with other algorithms, the results on two datasets show that the classification accuracy is higher than that of quantum deep neural network and general quantum convolutional neural network.