arXiv subjects

Davide Nicotra

Publications and source records attributed to Davide Nicotra.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

A 1-bit quantum filter for particle trajectory reconstruction

The transition to the High-Luminosity Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC) presents a computational challenge where particle reconstruction complexity may outpace classical computing resources. While quantum computing offers potential speedups, standard algorithms like Harrow-Hassidim-Lloyd (HHL) require prohibitive circuit depths for near-term hardware. Here, we introduce the 1-Bit Quantum Filter, a domain-specific adaptation of HHL that reformulates tracking from matrix inversion to binary ground-state filtering. By replacing high-precision phase estimation with a single-ancilla spectral threshold and exploiting the Hamiltonian's sparsity, we achieve an asymptotic gate complexity of $O(\sqrt{N} \log N)$, given Hamiltonian dimension $N$. We validate this approach by simulating LHCb Vertex Locator events with a toy model, and benchmark performance using the noise models of Quantinuum H2 trapped-ion and IBM Heron superconducting processors. This work establishes a resource-efficient track reconstruction method capable of solving realistic event topologies on noise-free simulators and smaller tracking scenarios within the current constraints of the Noisy Intermediate Scale Quantum (NISQ) era.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2025

TrackHHL: A Quantum Computing Algorithm for Track Reconstruction at the LHCb

In the future high-luminosity LHC era, high-energy physics experiments face unprecedented computational challenges for event reconstruction. Employing the LHCb vertex locator as a case study we investigate a novel approach for charged particle track reconstruction. The algorithm hinges on minimizing an Ising-like Hamiltonian using matrix inversion. Solving this matrix inversion classically achieves reconstruction efficiencies akin to current state-of-the-art algorithms. Exploiting the Harrow-Hassidim-Lloyd (HHL) quantum algorithm for linear systems holds the promise of an exponential speedup in the number of input hits over its classical counterpart, contingent on the conditions of efficient quantum phase estimation (QPE) and effectively reading out the algorithm's output. This contribution builds on previous work by Nicotra et al and strives to fulfill these conditions and further streamlines the algorithm's circuit depth by a factor up to $10^4$. Our version of the HHL algorithm restricts the QPE precision to one bit, largely reducing circuit depth and addressing HHL's readout issue. Furthermore, this allows for the implementation of a post-processing algorithm that reconstructs event Primary Vertices (PVs). The findings presented here aim to further illuminate the potential of harnessing quantum computing for the future of particle track reconstruction in high-energy physics.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2023

A quantum algorithm for track reconstruction in the LHCb vertex detector

High-energy physics is facing increasingly computational challenges in real-time event reconstruction for the near-future high-luminosity era. Using the LHCb vertex detector as a use-case, we explore a new algorithm for particle track reconstruction based on the minimisation of an Ising-like Hamiltonian with a linear algebra approach. The use of a classical matrix inversion technique results in tracking performance similar to the current state-of-the-art but with worse scaling complexity in time. To solve this problem, we also present an implementation as quantum algorithm, using the Harrow-Hassadim-Lloyd (HHL) algorithm: this approach can potentially provide an exponential speedup as a function of the number of input hits over its classical counterpart, in spite of limitations due to the well-known HHL Hamiltonian simulation and readout problems. The findings presented in this paper shed light on the potential of leveraging quantum computing for real-time particle track reconstruction in high-energy physics.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2022

Quantum computing for data analysis in high energy physics

Some of the biggest achievements of the modern era of particle physics, such as the discovery of the Higgs boson, have been made possible by the tremendous effort in building and operating large-scale experiments like the Large Hadron Collider or the Tevatron. In these facilities, the ultimate theory to describe matter at the most fundamental level is constantly probed and verified. These experiments often produce large amounts of data that require storing, processing, and analysis techniques that often push the limits of traditional information processing schemes. Thus, the High-Energy Physics (HEP) field has benefited from advancements in information processing and the development of algorithms and tools for large datasets. More recently, quantum computing applications have been investigated in an effort to understand how the community can benefit from the advantages of quantum information science. In this manuscript, we provide an overview of the state-of-the-art applications of quantum computing to data analysis in HEP, discuss the challenges and opportunities in integrating these novel analysis techniques into a day-to-day analysis workflow, and whether there is potential for a quantum advantage.

physics.data-an↗

arXiv2022

Quantum Machine Learning for $b$-jet charge identification

Machine Learning algorithms have played an important role in hadronic jet classification problems. The large variety of models applied to Large Hadron Collider data has demonstrated that there is still room for improvement. In this context Quantum Machine Learning is a new and almost unexplored methodology, where the intrinsic properties of quantum computation could be used to exploit particles correlations for improving the jet classification performance. In this paper, we present a brand new approach to identify if a jet contains a hadron formed by a $b$ or $\bar{b}$ quark at the moment of production, based on a Variational Quantum Classifier applied to simulated data of the LHCb experiment. Quantum models are trained and evaluated using LHCb simulation. The jet identification performance is compared with a Deep Neural Network model to assess which method gives the better performance.

hep-ex↗