Parameter optimization strategies in variational quantum algorithm

Tuesday 18 Mar 2025, 15:15 → 17:00 Europe/Rome

Aula A (Dipartimento di Fisica)

Speaker: Glen Bigan Mbeng

Abstract: A sizeable ongoing research effort focuses on variational quantum algorithms (VQAs), representing leading candidates for computational speed-ups on current quantum devices. Two major hurdles are the proliferation of low-quality variational local minima and the exponential vanishing of gradients in the cost-function landscape, a phenomenon referred to as barren plateaus. We present different strategies to address these issues using machine learning and iterative search schemes, showing that these approaches can prepare the ground state of paradigmatic quantum many-body models, circumventing the barren plateau phenomenon. We discuss the standard features emerging naturally from these different optimization strategies.

 

15:15 → 15:30 Welcome coffee

15:30 → 16:30 Parameter optimization strategies in variational quantum algorithm