As an essential part of artificial intelligence, many works focus on image processing which is the branch of computer vision. Nevertheless, image localization faces complex challenges in image processing with image data increases. At the same time, quantum computing has the unique advantages of improving computing power and reducing energy consumption. So, combining the advantage of quantum computing is necessary for studying the quantum image localization algorithms. At present, many quantum image localization algorithms have been proposed, and their efficiency is theoretically higher than the corresponding classical algorithms. But, in quantum computing experiments, quantum gates in quantum computing hardware need to work at very low temperatures, which brings great challenges to experiments. This paper proposes a single-photon-based quantum image localization algorithm based on the fundamental theory of single-photon image classification. This scheme realizes the operation of the mixed national institute of standards and technology database (MNIST) quantum image localization by a learned transformation for non-noise condition, noisy condition, and environmental attack condition, respectively. Compared with the regular use of entanglement between multi-qubits and low-temperature noise reduction conditions for image localization, the advantage of this method is that it does not deliberately require low temperature and entanglement resources, and it improves the lower bound of the localization success rate. This method paves a way to study quantum computer vision.
As an essential part of artificial intelligence, many works focus on image processing which is the branch of computer vision. Nevertheless, image localization faces complex challenges in image processing with image data increases. At the same time, quantum computing has the unique advantages of improving computing power and reducing energy consumption. So, combining the advantage of quantum computing is necessary for studying the quantum image localization algorithms. At present, many quantum image localization algorithms have been proposed, and their efficiency is theoretically higher than the corresponding classical algorithms. But, in quantum computing experiments, quantum gates in quantum computing hardware need to work at very low temperatures, which brings great challenges to experiments. This paper proposes a single-photon-based quantum image localization algorithm based on the fundamental theory of single-photon image classification. This scheme realizes the operation of the mixed national institute of standards and technology database (MNIST) quantum image localization by a learned transformation for non-noise condition, noisy condition, and environmental attack condition, respectively. Compared with the regular use of entanglement between multi-qubits and low-temperature noise reduction conditions for image localization, the advantage of this method is that it does not deliberately require low temperature and entanglement resources, and it improves the lower bound of the localization success rate. This method paves a way to study quantum computer vision.
Quantum computing-based machine learning mainly focuses on quantum computing hardware that is experimentally challenging to realize due to requiring quantum gates that operate at very low temperature. Instead, we demonstrate the existence of a lower performance and much lower effort island on the accuracy-vs-qubits graph that may well be experimentally accessible with room temperature optics. This high temperature "quantum computing toy model" is nevertheless interesting to study as it allows rather accessible explanations of key concepts in quantum computing, in particular interference, entanglement, and the measurement process. We specifically study the problem of classifying an example from the MNIST and Fashion-MNIST datasets, subject to the constraint that we have to make a prediction after the detection of the very first photon that passed a coherently illuminated filter showing the example. Whereas a classical set-up in which a photon is detected after falling on one of the 28×28 image pixels is limited to a (maximum likelihood estimation) accuracy of 21.27% for MNIST, respectively 18.27% for Fashion-MNIST, we show that the theoretically achievable accuracy when exploiting inference by optically transforming the quantum state of the photon is at least 41.27% for MNIST, respectively 36.14% for Fashion-MNIST. We show in detail how to train the corresponding transformation with TensorFlow and also explain how this example can serve as a teaching tool for the measurement process in quantum mechanics.
The domain of image classification has been seen to be dominated by high-performing deep-learning (DL) architectures. However, the success of this field, as seen over the past decade, has resulted in the complexity of modern methodologies scaling exponentially, commonly requiring millions of parameters. Quantum computing (QC) is an active area of research aimed toward greatly reducing problems of complexity faced in classical computing. With growing interest toward quantum machine learning (QML) for applications of image classification, many proposed algorithms require usage of numerous qubits. In the noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) era, these circuits may not always be feasible to execute effectively; therefore, we should aim to use each qubit as effectively and efficiently as possible, before adding additional qubits. This article proposes a new single-qubit-based deep quantum neural network for image classification that mimics traditional convolutional neural network (CNN) techniques, resulting in a reduced number of parameters compared with previous works. Our aim is to prove the concept of the initial proposal by demonstrating classification performance of the single-qubit-based architecture, as well as to provide a tested foundation for further development. To demonstrate this, our experiments were conducted using various datasets including MNIST, Fashion-MNIST, and ORL face datasets. To further our proposal in the context of the NISQ era, our experiments were intentionally conducted in noisy simulation environments. Initial test results appear promising, with classification accuracies of 94.6%, 89.5%, and 82.5% achieved on the subsets of MNIST, FMNIST, and ORL face datasets, respectively. In addition, proposals for further investigation and development were considered, where it is hoped that these initial results can be improved.
Nowadays, using machine learning for image classification is very common. However, due to the increasing demand for data processing and fast computing, the idea of enhancing machine learning with quantum computing has been proposed, known as quantum machine learning (QML). Quantum machine learning has the advantages of higher efficiency and accuracy. Quantum computing uses quantum bits (qubits) for data storage and computing, where a qubit can represent quantum states |0〉and |1〉simultaneously, enabling the processing of information for two states simultaneously, which is unparalleled in classical computing. Moreover, quantum machine learning can handle more complex data and process data faster. In classical machine learning, the processing of large-scale data and complex problems often faces problems of high computational complexity and low algorithm efficiency. Quantum computing can handle multiple computing tasks simultaneously, achieving faster computing. Therefore, in some scenarios that require efficient computing, quantum machine learning may be the best choice. In this study, we simulated quantum circuits using Qiskit and built a hybrid quantum-classical neural network model using VQNet to classify MNIST handwritten digits and CIFAR-10 datasets. The experiments showed that quantum machine learning has the advantages of efficiency, accuracy, and security over classical machine learning, which may be an improvement over classical machine learning. This research proposes a machine learning algorithm based on quantum computing, which promotes the development of quantum computing and quantum technology. At the same time, it provides a new solution and idea for image classification, enabling people to pursue faster and more accurate quantum machine learning instead of being limited to classical machine learning.[1]
As an emerging research direction in quantum computing, quantum convolutional neural networks provide a promising way to combine quantum feature processing with traditional machine learning algorithms; however, their development is constrained by the scarcity of quantum resources. In this work, we propose a quantum-classical hybrid convolutional neural network model based on quantum convolution kernels. This model employs a multi-data-per-qubit rotation-angle encoding scheme to embed multiple data points into a small number of qubits, aiming to reduce quantum resource consumption and enhance feature extraction for image classification tasks. Its compact structure is designed to extract multidimensional features with fewer qubits and reduced measurement overhead, thereby improving the utilization of limited quantum resources under the considered setting. To evaluate our method, we conducted several experiments to compare our model with existing approaches and to assess performance under varying numbers of qubits, different CNOT gate configurations, and diverse encoding schemes. Experimental results show that the proposed model achieves competitive performance and slightly higher average accuracy than the traditional convolution structure and three existing quantum convolution schemes under a Qiskit Aer noisy simulation environment. This investigation provides a compact design for the structural optimization and low-resource implementation of quantum convolutional neural networks, offering a potential scheme for quantum-assisted image feature extraction.
Quantum Computing (QC) was born as a purely theoretical subject. Thus, in the beginning, the main category of researchers in the area was physicists and mathematicians. Since IBM introduced the first quantum computer, global interest in this emerging technology has been growing more and more, involving computer science and engineering researchers. Machine learning is another rapidly growing technology, used in a wide range of applications where traditional computing is not sufficient. The two technologies are merged in the thesis work. The different ways in which a combination of them can occur are discussed, as well as the explanation why there is not a single definition of Quantum Machine Learning (QML). Firstly, quantum computing is examined in depth. The basic elements of quantum computation theory, based on the fundamental principles of quantum mechanics, are introduced. The attention is focused on the qubit description on the Bloch sphere, the fundamental quantum gates, and examples of quantum algorithms. Therefore, the differences between quantum simulators and quantum processors are analysed, including the frameworks that provide tools to interact with them. Focusing on Quantum Machine Learning, the different definitions of the technology are described. There are four distinct approaches that are differentiated by the type of data used (quantum or classical) and by the device processing them (quantum or classical). In this thesis, QML is defined as the approach that uses classical data to feed a quantum device. The two possible methods for developing QML algorithms are: 1) to translate existing classical models into the terms of quantum computing; 2) to leave the existing models of classical machine learning completely, and explore new possible ways of doing QML to take full advantage of the physical characteristics of a quantum computer. The strategy adopted is the first one, thus it is used a state-of-the-art hybrid model of Quanvolutional Neural Network (QNN), composed of both quanvolutional and classical convolutional layers. The quanvolutional layers reproduce the same concept of the classical ones: they are made of quantum filters that generate feature maps through locally transforming input data. The transformation can be performed by variational quantum circuits or random quantum circuits. The specific field where Quantum Machine Learning is applied is image classification. The considered case study is a labeled dataset with X-ray images of lungs (labels: pneumonia, normal). The images are pre-processed and cropped for being used by quantum circuits, thus some information is lost. The main aim of the thesis is to understand whether and in which ways Quantum Machine Learning could bring advantages in the mentioned classification in terms of timing, accuracy, or dataset reduction, despite the large decrease in images' resolution. Different configurations of the hybrid model (with a different number of quantum filters and different settings of convolutional layers) are analysed and tested. The current quantum devices have many limitations, thus the time is still immature to observe a significant change in perspective. Nevertheless, the obtained results are promising for the future of QML in terms of dataset and hyperparameters reduction.
This paper delves into the groundbreaking potential of quantum computing, with a primary focus on qubits and their wide-ranging applications. It explores the fundamental principles of quantum physics, such as entanglement and superposition, demonstrating how these principles underpin innovative approaches to data representation and processing. Real-world demonstrations utilizing quantum hardware underscore the exponential advantages that quantum computing offers in terms of both speed and storage capacity. Within the realm of quantum computing, one major objective is to address the issue of decoherence, and the article proposes the utilization of photons as qubits due to their virtually infinite decoherence times. This introduction of Photonic quantum computing paves the way for a robust and scalable quantum computing approach, with specific objectives centered around enhancing the stability and scalability of quantum systems. Furthermore, the article explores the fascinating domain of quantum image processing, aiming to revolutionize the fields of image analysis and compression. Quantum image representations are envisioned to significantly enhance storage efficiency, and the article sets objectives to develop practical quantum algorithms for image processing tasks. To illustrate the practicality of these advancements, the article showcases a real-world implementation of quantum edge detection, emphasizing its promising applications not only in medical imaging but also in advancing artificial vision systems.