arXiv subjects

Mikel Sanz

Publications and source records attributed to Mikel Sanz.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2025

On super additivity of Fisher information in fully Gaussian metrology

Famously, the quantum Fisher information -- the maximum Fisher information over all physical measurements -- is additive for independent copies of a system and the optimal measurement acts locally. We are left to wonder: does the same hold when the set of accessible measurements is constrained? Such constraints are necessary to account for realistic experimental restrictions. Here, we consider a fully Gaussian scenario focusing on only Gaussian measurements. We prove that the optimal Gaussian measurement protocol remains local, if the information is encoded in either the displacement or the covariance matrix. However, when the information is imprinted on both, this no longer holds true: we construct a simple global Gaussian measurement where the Fisher information becomes super additive. These results can improve parameter estimation tasks via feasible tools. Namely, in quantum optical platforms our proposed global operation requires only passive global operations and single mode Gaussian measurements. We demonstrate this in two examples where we estimate squeezing and losses. While in the former case there is a significant gap between the Fisher information of the optimal Gaussian measurement and the quantum Fisher information for a single copy, this gap can be reduced with joint Gaussian measurements and closed in the asymptotic limit of many copies.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2025

The EU Quantum Flagship's Key Performance Indicators for Quantum Computing

As quantum processors continue to scale in size and complexity, the need for well-defined, reproducible, and technology-agnostic performance metrics becomes increasingly critical. Here we present a suite of scalable quantum computing benchmarks developed as key performance indicators (KPIs) within the EU Quantum Flagship. These proposed benchmarks are designed to assess holistic system performance rather than isolated components, and to remain applicable across both noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) devices and future fault-tolerant architectures. We introduce four core benchmarks addressing complementary aspects of quantum computing capability: large multi-qubit circuit execution via a Clifford Volume benchmark, scalable multipartite entanglement generation through GHZ-state preparation, a benchmark based on the application of Shor's period-finding subroutine to simple functions, and a protocol quantifying the benefit of quantum error correction using Bell states. Each benchmark is accompanied by clearly specified protocols, reporting standards, and scalable evaluation methods. Together, these KPIs provide a coherent framework for transparent and fair performance assessment across quantum hardware platforms and for tracking progress late-NISQ toward early fault-tolerant quantum computation.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2025

Quantum Algorithm for Local-Volatility Option Pricing via the Kolmogorov Equation

The solution of option-pricing problems may turn out to be computationally demanding due to non-linear and path-dependent payoffs, the high dimensionality arising from multiple underlying assets, and sophisticated models of price dynamics. In this context, quantum computing has been proposed as a means to address these challenges efficiently. Prevailing approaches either simulate the stochastic differential equations governing the forward dynamics of underlying asset prices or directly solve the backward pricing partial differential equation. Here, we present an end-to-end quantum algorithmic framework that solves the Kolmogorov forward (Fokker-Planck) partial differential equation for local-volatility models by mapping it to a Hamiltonian-simulation problem via the Schrödingerisation technique. The algorithm specifies how to prepare the initial quantum state, perform Hamiltonian simulation, and how to efficiently recover the option price via a swap test. In particular, the efficiency of the final solution recovery is an important advantage of solving the forward versus the backward partial differential equation. Thus, our end-to-end framework offers a potential route toward quantum advantage for challenging option-pricing tasks. In particular, we obtain a polynomial advantage in grid size for the discretization of a single dimension. Nevertheless, the true power of our methodology lies in pricing high-dimensional systems, such as baskets of options, because the quantum framework admits an exponential speedup with respect to dimension, overcoming the classical curse of dimensionality.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2025

Bayesian Physics Informed Neural Networks for Reliable Transformer Prognostics

Scientific Machine Learning (SciML) integrates physics and data into the learning process, offering improved generalization compared with purely data-driven models. Despite its potential, applications of SciML in prognostics remain limited, partly due to the complexity of incorporating partial differential equations (PDEs) for ageing physics and the scarcity of robust uncertainty quantification methods. This work introduces a Bayesian Physics-Informed Neural Network (B-PINN) framework for probabilistic prognostics estimation. By embedding Bayesian Neural Networks into the PINN architecture, the proposed approach produces principled, uncertainty-aware predictions. The method is applied to a transformer ageing case study, where insulation degradation is primarily driven by thermal stress. The heat diffusion PDE is used as the physical residual, and different prior distributions are investigated to examine their impact on predictive posterior distributions and their ability to encode a priori physical knowledge. The framework is validated against a finite element model developed and tested with real measurements from a solar power plant. Results, benchmarked against a dropout-PINN baseline, show that the proposed B-PINN delivers more reliable prognostic predictions by accurately quantifying predictive uncertainty. This capability is crucial for supporting robust and informed maintenance decision-making in critical power assets.

cs.LG↗

arXiv2025

Ultrafast Stern-Gerlach and Anomalous Bragg Diffraction Regimes of Low-energy Free Electron Interaction with Light

Recent advances in photon-induced near-field electron microscopy (PINEM) have significantly impacted allied disciplines such as laser-driven accelerators and free electron radiations, collectively fostering the emergence of free-electron quantum optics (FEQO). A central objective of FEQO is to achieve coherent optical control of free electrons, analogous to light manipulation of atoms in atom optics. Motivated by this analogy, we propose an ultrafast Stern-Gerlach (USG) regime for low-energy quantum electron wavepacket (QEW), which crucially incorporates the effects of second-order dispersion inherent to slow electrons. We demonstrate that the USG diffraction induces spectral splitting and shifting of the QEW via a longitudinal electric field gradient, with the two dominant truncated sidebands forming a pseudospin degree of freedom for an effective "two-level" electron. Furthermore, by examining the wave-particle duality of the QEW during light interaction, we identify a dispersion-induced anomalous Bragg diffraction regime. This regime exhibits a distinct spectral pattern, differentiating it from these reported PINEM (Raman-Nath), dielectric laser accelerators (DLA), anomalous PINEM, and Bragg diffraction regimes. Our study provides a comprehensive classification for light-induced diffraction regimes for both swift and slow electrons. These findings underscore the pivotal role of slow-electron dispersion and duality nature in free-electron optics, offering promising avenues for electron wavefunction quantum engineering ultrafast interferometers.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2025

Existence of unbiased resilient estimators in discrete quantum systems

The Cramér-Rao bound serves as a crucial lower limit for the mean squared error of an estimator in frequentist parameter estimation. Paradoxically, it requires highly accurate prior knowledge of the estimated parameter for constructing the optimal unbiased estimator. In contrast, Bhattacharyya bounds offer a more robust estimation framework with respect to prior accuracy by introducing additional constraints on the estimator. In this work, we examine divergences that arise in the computation of these bounds and establish the conditions under which they remain valid. Notably, we show that when the number of constraints exceeds the number of measurement outcomes, an estimator with finite variance typically does not exist. Furthermore, we systematically investigate the properties of these bounds using paradigmatic examples, comparing them to the Cramér-Rao and Bayesian approaches.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2025

Entanglement transfer during quantum frequency conversion in gas-filled hollow-core fibers

Quantum transduction is essential for the future hybrid quantum networks, connecting devices across different spectral ranges. In this regard, molecular modulation in hollow-core fibers has proven to be exceptional for efficient and tunable frequency conversion of arbitrary light fields down to the single-photon limit. However, insights on this conversion method for quantum light have remained elusive beyond standard semiclassical models. In this Letter, we employ a quantum Hamiltonian framework to characterize the behavior of entanglement during molecular modulation, while describing the quantum dynamics of both molecules and photons in agreement with recent experiments. In particular, apart from obtaining analytical expressions for the final opto-molecular states, our model predicts a close correlation between the evolution of the average photon numbers and the transfer of entanglement between the interacting parties. These results will contribute to the development of new fiber-based strategies to tackle the challenges associated with the upcoming generation of lightwave quantum technologies.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2025

Quantum approximated cloning-assisted density matrix exponentiation

Classical information loading is an essential task for many processing quantum algorithms, constituting a cornerstone in the field of quantum machine learning. In particular, the embedding techniques based on Hamiltonian simulation techniques enable the loading of matrices into quantum computers. A representative example of these methods is the Lloyd-Mohseni-Rebentrost protocol, which efficiently implements matrix exponentiation when multiple copies of a quantum state are available. However, this is a quite ideal set up, and in a realistic scenario, the copies are limited and the non-cloning theorem prevents from producing more exact copies in order to increase the accuracy of the protocol. Here, we propose a method to circumvent this limitation by introducing imperfect quantum copies, which significantly improve the performance of the LMR when the eigenvectors are known.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2025

Neural quantum kernels: training quantum kernels with quantum neural networks

Quantum and classical machine learning have been naturally connected through kernel methods, which have also served as proof-of-concept for quantum advantage. Quantum embeddings encode classical data into quantum feature states, enabling the construction of embedding quantum kernels (EQKs) by measuring vector similarities and projected quantum kernels (PQKs) through projections of these states. However, in both approaches, the model is influenced by the choice of the embedding. In this work, we propose using the training of a quantum neural network (QNN) to construct neural quantum kernels: both neural EQKs and neural PQKs, which are problem-inspired kernels. Unlike previous methods in the literature, our approach requires the kernel matrix to be constructed only once. We present several strategies for constructing neural quantum kernels and propose a scalable method to train an $n$-qubit data re-uploading quantum neural network (QNN). We provide numerical evidence of the performance of these models under noisy conditions. Additionally, we demonstrate how neural quantum kernels can alleviate exponential concentration and enhance generalization capabilities compared to problem-agnostic kernels, positioning them as a scalable and robust solution for quantum machine learning applications.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2025

Satellite image classification with neural quantum kernels

Achieving practical applications of quantum machine learning for real-world scenarios remains challenging despite significant theoretical progress. This paper proposes a novel approach for classifying satellite images, a task of particular relevance to the earth observation (EO) industry, using quantum machine learning techniques. Specifically, we focus on classifying images that contain solar panels, addressing a complex real-world classification problem. Our approach begins with classical pre-processing to reduce the dimensionality of the satellite image dataset. We then apply neural quantum kernels (NQKs)-quantum kernels derived from trained quantum neural networks (QNNs)-for classification. We evaluate several strategies within this framework, demonstrating results that are competitive with the best classical methods. Key findings include the robustness of or results and their scalability, with successful performance achieved up to 8 qubits.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2025

Digital-Analog Quantum Computation with Arbitrary Two-Body Hamiltonians

Digital-analog quantum computing is a computational paradigm which employs an analog Hamiltonian resource together with single-qubit gates to reach universality. Here, we design a new scheme which employs an arbitrary two-body source Hamiltonian, extending the experimental applicability of this computational paradigm to most quantum platforms. We show that the simulation of an arbitrary two-body target Hamiltonian of $n$ qubits requires $\mathcal{O}(n^2)$ analog blocks with guaranteed positive times, providing a polynomial advantage compared to the previous scheme. Additionally, we propose a classical strategy which combines a Bayesian optimization with a gradient descent method, improving the performance by $\sim55\%$ for small systems measured in the Frobenius norm.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2025

Heisenberg-Limited Quantum Lidar for Joint Range and Velocity Estimation

We propose a quantum lidar protocol to jointly estimate the range and velocity of a target by illuminating it with a single beam of pulsed displaced squeezed light. In the lossless scenario, we show that the mean-squared errors of both range and velocity estimations are inversely proportional to the squared number of signal photons, simultaneously attaining the Heisenberg limit. This is achieved by engineering the multi-photon squeezed state of the temporal modes and adopting standard homodyne detection. To assess the robustness of the quantum protocol, we incorporate photon losses and detuning of the homodyne receiver. Our findings reveal a quantum advantage over the best-known classical strategy across a wide range of round-trip transmissivities. Particularly, the quantum advantage is substantial for sufficiently small losses, even when compared to the optimal -- potentially unattainable -- classical performance limit. The quantum advantage also extends to the practical case where quantum engineering is done on top of a strong classical coherent state with watts of power. This, together with the robustness against losses and the feasibility of the measurement with state-of-the-art technology, make the protocol highly promising for near-term implementation.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2024

New Pathways in Neutrino Physics via Quantum-Encoded Data Analysis

Ever-increasing amount of data is produced by particle detectors in their quest to unveil the laws of Nature. The large data rate requires the use of specialized triggers that promptly reduce the data rate to a manageable level; however, in doing so, unexpected new phenomena may escape detection. Additionally, the large data rate is increasingly difficult to analyze effectively, which has led to a recent revolution on machine learning techniques. Here, we present a methodology based on recent quantum compression techniques that has the capacity to store exponentially more amount of information than classically available methods. To demonstrate this, we encode the full neutrino telescope event information using parity observables in an IBM quantum processor using 8 qubits. Then we show that we can recover the information stored on the quantum computer with a fidelity of 84%. Finally, we illustrate the use of our protocol by performing a classification task that separates electron-neutrino events to muon-neutrinos events in a neutrino telescope. This new capability would eventually allow us to solve the street light effect in particle physics, where we only record signatures of particles with which we are familiar.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2024

Quantum Carleman linearisation efficiency in nonlinear fluid dynamics

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is a specialised branch of fluid mechanics that utilises numerical methods and algorithms to solve and analyze fluid-flow problems. One promising avenue to enhance CFD is the use of quantum computing, which has the potential to resolve nonlinear differential equations more efficiently than classical computers. Here, we try to answer the question of which regimes of nonlinear partial differential equations (PDEs) for fluid dynamics can have an efficient quantum algorithm. We propose a connection between the numerical parameter, $R$, that guarantees efficiency in the truncation of the Carleman linearisation, and the physical parameters that describe the fluid flow. This link can be made thanks to the Kolmogorov scale, which determines the minimum size of the grid needed to properly resolve the energy cascade induced by the nonlinear term. Additionally, we introduce the formalism for vector field simulation in different spatial dimensions, providing the discretisation of the operators and the boundary conditions.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2024

Symmetry-enhanced Counterdiabatic Quantum Algorithm for Qudits

Qubit-based variational quantum algorithms have undergone rapid development in recent years but still face several challenges. In this context, we propose a symmetry-enhanced digitized counterdiabatic quantum algorithm utilizing qudits instead of qubits. This approach offers three types of compression as compared to with respect to conventional variational circuits. First, compression in the circuit depth is achieved by counterdiabatic protocols. Second, information about the problem is compressed by replacing qubits with qudits, allowing for a more efficient representation of the problem. Lastly, the number of parameters is reduced by employing the symmetries of the system. We illustrate this approach by tackling a graph-based optimization problem Max-3-Cut and a highly-entangled state preparation, the qutrit W state. As our numerical results show, we achieve a better convergence with a lower circuit depth and less measurement overhead in all the cases considered. This work leads to a better design of shallow variational quantum circuits, improving the feasibility of their implementation on near-term qudit devices

quant-ph↗

arXiv2024

Mitigating noise in digital and digital-analog quantum computation

Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum (NISQ) devices lack error correction, limiting scalability for quantum algorithms. In this context, digital-analog quantum computing (DAQC) offers a more resilient alternative quantum computing paradigm that outperforms digital quantum computation by combining the flexibility of single-qubit gates with the robustness of analog simulations. This work explores the impact of noise on both digital and DAQC paradigms and demonstrates DAQC's effectiveness in error mitigation. We compare the quantum Fourier transform and quantum phase estimation algorithms under a wide range of single and two-qubit noise sources in superconducting processors. DAQC consistently surpasses digital approaches in fidelity, particularly as processor size increases. Moreover, zero-noise extrapolation further enhances DAQC by mitigating decoherence and intrinsic errors, achieving fidelities above 0.95 for 8 qubits, and reducing computation errors to the order of $10^{-3}$. These results establish DAQC as a viable alternative for quantum computing in the NISQ era.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2024

Residual-based Attention Physics-informed Neural Networks for Spatio-Temporal Ageing Assessment of Transformers Operated in Renewable Power Plants

Transformers are crucial for reliable and efficient power system operations, particularly in supporting the integration of renewable energy. Effective monitoring of transformer health is critical to maintain grid stability and performance. Thermal insulation ageing is a key transformer failure mode, which is generally tracked by monitoring the hotspot temperature (HST). However, HST measurement is complex, costly, and often estimated from indirect measurements. Existing HST models focus on space-agnostic thermal models, providing worst-case HST estimates. This article introduces a spatio-temporal model for transformer winding temperature and ageing estimation, which leverages physics-based partial differential equations (PDEs) with data-driven Neural Networks (NN) in a Physics Informed Neural Networks (PINNs) configuration to improve prediction accuracy and acquire spatio-temporal resolution. The computational accuracy of the PINN model is improved through the implementation of the Residual-Based Attention (PINN-RBA) scheme that accelerates the PINN model convergence. The PINN-RBA model is benchmarked against self-adaptive attention schemes and classical vanilla PINN configurations. For the first time, PINN based oil temperature predictions are used to estimate spatio-temporal transformer winding temperature values, validated through PDE numerical solution and fiber optic sensor measurements. Furthermore, the spatio-temporal transformer ageing model is inferred, which supports transformer health management decision-making. Results are validated with a distribution transformer operating on a floating photovoltaic power plant.

cs.LG↗

arXiv2024

Quantum Active Learning

Quantum machine learning, as an extension of classical machine learning that harnesses quantum mechanics, facilitates effiient learning from data encoded in quantum states. Training a quantum neural network typically demands a substantial labeled training set for supervised learning. Human annotators, often experts, provide labels for samples through additional experiments, adding to the training cost. To mitigate this expense, there is a quest for methods that maintain model performance over fully labeled datasets while requiring fewer labeled samples in practice, thereby extending few-shot learning to the quantum realm. Quantum active learning estimates the uncertainty of quantum data to select the most informative samples from a pool for labeling. Consequently, a QML model is supposed to accumulate maximal knowledge as the training set comprises labeled samples selected via sampling strategies. Notably, the QML models trained within the QAL framework are not restricted to specific types, enabling performance enhancement from the model architecture's perspective towards few-shot learning. Recognizing symmetry as a fundamental concept in physics ubiquitous across various domains, we leverage the symmetry inherent in quantum states induced by the embedding of classical data for model design. We employ an equivariant QNN capable of generalizing from fewer data with geometric priors. We benchmark the performance of QAL on two classification problems, observing both positive and negative results. QAL effectively trains the model, achieving performance comparable to that on fully labeled datasets by labeling less than 7\% of the samples in the pool with unbiased sampling behavior. Furthermore, we elucidate the negative result of QAL being overtaken by random sampling baseline through miscellaneous numerical experiments. (character count limit, see the main text)

quant-ph↗