Method for processing quantum sensor signals

Abstract

In the case of a method for processing a quantum sensor signal of at least one quantum sensor, at least one quantum sensor signal in the form of a quantum physical superposition state is obtained by means of the at least one quantum sensor, and the at least one superposition state is processed by means of a quantum information processing. The invention relates to a measurement analysis system comprising at least one quantum sensor, which is designed to provide at least one quantum sensor signal in the form of a quantum physical superposition state, and comprising a quantum computer, which has a quantum register and a quantum logic device for quantum information processing of the quantum register. In the case of a measurement analysis system, at least one quantum sensor signal may be converted into at least one superimposed state of a quantum register.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a method for processing a quantum sensor signal of a quantum sensor and a measurement and evaluation system having a quantum sensor. Background Art

[0002] Measurement and analysis systems with quantum sensors are known, which utilize special properties of quantum systems, such as interleaving or interference, in order to achieve a higher precision than is possible with conventional classical sensors.

[0003] Such quantum sensors are used in particular for detecting external physical variables, in particular electric or magnetic fields, using the sensitivity of the quantum state to environmental influences.

[0004] In this case, the superposition state of the quantum sensor is used and the influence of the superposition state is used in order to infer the external physical variable. During the measurement, the superposition state of the quantum sensor can be reduced and the external physical variable can be inferred. Summary of the invention

[0005] Against the background of the prior art, it is an object of the present invention to specify an improved method for processing a quantum sensor signal of a quantum sensor and an improved measurement and evaluation system having a quantum sensor.

[0006] This object of the invention is achieved with a method having the features specified in claim 1 and with a measurement and evaluation system having the features specified in claim 7 and with a nuclear magnetic resonance tomography device, a production device and a maintenance device having the features specified in claim 15. Preferred developments of the invention are described in the associated dependent claims, the following description and the drawings.

[0007] In the case of the method according to the invention for processing quantum sensor signals of at least one quantum sensor, at least one quantum sensor signal in the form of at least one quantum physical superposition state is obtained by means of at least one quantum sensor and the at least one superposition state is processed by means of quantum information processing without prior reduction.

[0008] In the case of the method according to the invention, the quantum sensor signal of at least one quantum sensor is not first measured and thus restored as was previously common, but the at least one quantum sensor signal is kept in a quantum physical superposition state and is available for quantum information processing without an intermediate measurement, that is, without a previous reduction of the quantum physical superposition state. With the help of the method according to the invention, special quantum properties, such as relative phase information of the superposition state or an interleaving of at least one superposition state, for example an interleaving of a plurality of qubits of the at least one quantum sensor signal, can be used for quantum information processing. With the help of the method according to the invention, not only improved detection with the help of at least one quantum sensor is possible, but also improved quantum information processing of the at least one quantum sensor signal is possible at the same time. Therefore, data evaluation can be performed faster and qualitatively improved. Quantum-assisted analysis methods can also be used directly in quantum information processing. Since such quantum-assisted analysis methods usually require input data in the form of at least one quantum physical superposition state, in the method according to the invention, the input data can advantageously already be available in the form of at least one quantum sensor signal of at least one quantum sensor. Therefore, in the case of the method according to the invention, it is advantageously not necessary to encode classical signals in a costly manner into a quantum physical superposition state.

[0009] It goes without saying that such a quantum sensor used in the sense of the method according to the invention is preferably designed such that an external physical variable, i.e. a variable which preferably does not characterize the quantum sensor or a superposition state of the quantum sensor, can be measured with the aid of a superposition state. The quantum sensor is therefore designed and set up such that the quantum sensor used according to the invention is therefore not primarily designed to measure the state of the quantum sensor itself, but rather to provide a superposition state which, by reducing the superposition state, makes the external physical variable, i.e. the measurement variable of the quantum sensor, measurable.

[0010] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the external physical variable cannot be understood as an unintentional noise influence. Rather, the quantum sensor is particularly designed to be coupled to the external physical variable to be detected with the quantum sensor and / or is particularly isolated, in particular shielded, in order to avoid the influence of variables that are different from the external physical variable.

[0011] It goes without saying that a quantum sensor used according to the invention is a quantum sensor which provides a quantum sensor signal which is dependent on an external physical variable. An evaluation circuit which evaluates the quantum sensor signal by means of restoring a quantum physical superposition state and which together with the quantum sensor forms a measuring device is not or at least not necessarily part of the quantum sensor used according to the invention.

[0012] Expediently, the quantum sensor is in particular designed and configured, in particular equipped, for detecting an external physical variable.

[0013] The quantum physical superposition state is advantageously realized by means of a qubit. The qubit is preferably formed by means of an ion trap, a crystal defect, in particular in a diamond crystal, and / or as a superconducting qubit.

[0014] In the case of the method according to the invention, in a preferred development, the quantum information processing includes data analysis, in particular quantum machine learning (Quantum Machine Leming) and / or quantum image processing (Quantum Image Processing). In this way, the quantum sensor signal can be easily analyzed with the aid of quantum-assisted data analysis. In particular, in the case of the method according to the invention, the quantum sensor signal can be used in a very direct manner for evaluation methods, such as quantum machine learning and / or quantum image processing, so that complex evaluation methods that were previously unavailable or available only in a laborious manner can now be used for quantum sensors.

[0015] In the case of the method according to the invention, quantum information processing is preferably not limited to detection by means of the at least one quantum sensor. Therefore, in this refinement of the invention, quantum information processing is actual quantum logical quantum information processing in a narrow sense, i.e. quantum information processing performed by means of quantum logical processes.

[0016] In the case of the method according to the invention, the quantum information processing preferably comprises the application of quantum logic operations, in particular the application of quantum logic gates and / or quantum Fourier transformations.

[0017] Particularly preferably, in an advantageous development of the method according to the invention, the quantum logic operation makes full use of at least one universal set of quantum gates, ie a universal set of quantum gates, ie the quantum information processing uses each quantum gate of the universal set at least once.

[0018] In the case of the method, in a preferred development of the invention, at least one superposition state of at least one quantum sensor signal is stored, in particular in at least one quantum register designed as a quantum memory. In this development of the invention, the quantum sensor signal does not have to be held by the at least one quantum sensor until the quantum sensor signal is further processed by means of quantum information processing. Instead, the quantum sensor signal can be stored so that the at least one quantum sensor can already be ready for detecting new quantum sensor signals. The detection rate of the at least one quantum sensor is therefore independent of the use of the quantum sensor signal for quantum information processing and is advantageously not restricted.

[0019] In a preferred development of the method according to the invention, the quantum information processing is performed with the aid of a two-state or multi-state system that is different from the two-state or multi-state system used by the quantum sensor to realize its quantum sensor signal. Therefore, different architectures, in particular different hardware architectures, are used for the quantum sensor and for the quantum information processing.

[0020] The measuring and analyzing system according to the invention has at least one quantum sensor which is designed to provide at least one quantum sensor signal in the form of a quantum physical superposition state, and a quantum computer which has a quantum register and a quantum logic device for quantum information processing of the quantum register. In the case of the measuring and analyzing system according to the invention, the at least one quantum sensor signal in the form of a superposition state can be converted into a superposition state of the quantum register without prior reduction, or the quantum sensor signal forms a superposition state of the quantum register without prior reduction.

[0021] In the case of the measurement and analysis system according to the invention, it is therefore not the case that, as has been common hitherto, a classical measurement signal of at least one quantum sensor is obtained and subsequently encoded into a quantum physical superposition state, which is then in turn transmitted to a quantum logic device. Instead, quantum information processing of at least one quantum sensor signal can be performed directly, i.e. without previously restoring the quantum sensor signal in a superposition state. With the measurement and analysis system according to the invention, the method according to the invention as described above can therefore advantageously be performed simply. Accordingly, the measurement and analysis system according to the invention has the advantages already described for the method according to the invention.

[0022] In the case of the measurement and analysis system according to the invention, the quantum register is preferably a quantum memory. With the aid of a quantum memory, in particular a Q-RAM, the state of a quantum sensor can be advantageously stored intermediately, so that at least one quantum sensor does not have to maintain the quantum sensor state until the quantum logic device processes the quantum sensor signal. Instead, at least one quantum sensor can be put into an operating state ready for measurement again, so that a high data rate can be achieved with the aid of at least one quantum sensor. Therefore, the operation of at least one quantum sensor is not limited to reducing at least one quantum sensor signal by a quantum logic device, but can also gradually detect multiple quantum sensor signals and jointly transmit them to the quantum logic device with the aid of multiple quantum registers in the form of quantum memories. In this improved solution, complex quantum logic methods for quantum information processing can therefore also be implemented in the case of the measurement and analysis system according to the invention.

[0023] In a suitable development of the invention, in the case of a measurement and analysis system, at least one quantum sensor signal can be transformed by means of a state transfer and / or by means of a qubit transfer, in particular by means of a particle transfer and / or by means of a quasiparticle transfer and / or by means of a field transfer and / or by means of a crystal defect transfer or by means of a transfer in one or more ion traps or by means of an interaction of the quantum sensor signal with a quantum register. In this way, the quantum sensor signal or a superposition state of the quantum sensor signal can be easily fed to a quantum logic device for further quantum information processing.

[0024] In the case of the measurement and analysis system according to the invention, quantum information processing preferably includes data analysis, in particular quantum machine learning and / or quantum image processing. In particular, in the case of quantum machine learning and / or quantum image processing, the possible advantages according to the invention of direct quantum information processing of quantum physical superposition states provided by quantum sensors can be easily realized.

[0025] In an advantageous development of the measurement and analysis system according to the invention, the quantum information processing is preferably not limited to detection by means of the quantum sensor, i.e. the quantum information processing is in fact not only an improved determination of the measurement variable detected by means of at least one quantum sensor. Instead, in this development, at least one quantum sensor signal is processed such that the processing result of the quantum information processing goes beyond merely improved detection by means of the at least one quantum sensor signal. Therefore, the at least one quantum sensor signal is particularly preferably associated with other variables or signals to form new information.

[0026] In the case of the measurement and analysis system according to the invention, the quantum logic device comprises a device and / or sequence of quantum logic gates and / or a device for performing a quantum Fourier transformation. In this development of the invention, complex algorithms for quantum information processing are therefore available.

[0027] Particularly preferably, in the case of a measurement and analysis system, the quantum logic device can be configured to form each quantum gate of at least one universal quantum gate set, i.e. the quantum logic device can be configured to use each quantum gate of the universal set at least once. The quantum logic device of the measurement and analysis system is expediently set up to be configurable to use each quantum gate of the universal set. In this way, with the aid of the measurement and analysis system according to the invention, a plurality of different, essentially arbitrary, in particular arbitrarily complex algorithms for quantum information processing can be implemented.

[0028] In an advantageous development of the measurement and analysis system according to the invention, the quantum logic device has each quantum gate of a universal quantum gate set, for example a universal set as described in the previous development or a universal set different therefrom, at least once. In this development of the invention, sufficiently complex algorithms for quantum information processing can therefore be implemented in the case of the quantum logic device.

[0029] In a preferred embodiment of the measurement and analysis system according to the invention, the quantum register and / or the quantum logic device comprises a two-state or multi-state system which is different from the two-state or multi-state system used by the quantum sensor for providing the quantum sensor signal. Thus, different architectures, in particular different hardware architectures, are used for the quantum sensor and for the quantum computer.

[0030] The magnetic resonance tomography device according to the invention and / or the manufacturing device according to the invention and / or the maintenance device according to the invention and / or the logistics device according to the invention are each configured to carry out the method according to the invention as described above and / or have a measurement and analysis system according to the invention as described above.

[0031] In the case of a nuclear magnetic resonance tomography apparatus according to the invention, the quantum logic device is preferably configured to perform quantum information processing on nuclear magnetic resonance signals. However, in the case of a manufacturing apparatus according to the invention, the quantum logic device is preferably configured to perform quantum information processing on manufacturing signals, in particular feedback signals that occur during manufacturing and are particularly preferably used to adapt the manufacturing process. In the case of a maintenance apparatus according to the invention, the quantum logic device is preferably configured to perform quantum information processing on maintenance signals, for example maintenance signals regarding the state of an object to be maintained. In the case of a logistics apparatus according to the invention, the quantum logic device is suitably configured to perform quantum information processing on logistics signals. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] The present invention will be explained in more detail below based on the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0033] Figure 1 A conventional measurement and analysis system with a quantum sensor for conventional information processing of a quantum sensor signal of a quantum sensor is schematically shown in a principle sketch;

[0034] Figure 2 A quantum measurement analysis system according to the invention with a quantum sensor and a quantum computer for carrying out the method according to the invention for processing a quantum sensor signal of a quantum sensor is schematically shown in a schematic diagram. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] exist Figure 1The measurement and analysis system shown in uses a quantum sensor QSENS for measuring a quantum sensor signal. In the embodiment shown, the quantum sensor QSENS is a quantum sensor QSENS of a nuclear magnetic resonance tomography device according to the invention. The quantum sensor QSENS is a magnetic field sensor that measures the precession frequency of atomic nuclei in an external magnetic field by means of quantum measurement. For this purpose, a quantum sensor signal SG is obtained from a measurement object (a tissue sample in the embodiment shown) in a manner known per se.

[0036] Here, these quantum sensor signals SG are quantum sensor signals SG in the form of quantum physical superposition states, which the quantum sensor QSENS uses to increase the measurement accuracy. The quantum sensor signals SG of the measurement object thus form non-classical states, which are also referred to as quantum states QS in the following.

[0037] In order to evaluate the information obtained from the quantum sensor, the quantum state QS respectively obtained from the quantum sensor QSENS is restored to the classical state by means of a measurement process. That is, the quantum state QS detected by the quantum sensor QSENS is not maintained, but is irreversibly restored to the classical state CLASS.

[0038] The classical state CLASS can now then be evaluated, for example, with the aid of a quantum computer. For this purpose, the classical state CLASS is quantum-encoded into a new quantum state NEQS with the aid of a coding process CODQS and provided to the quantum computer. The quantum computer performs an analysis ANA in order to evaluate the classical state CLASS provided by the quantum sensor QSENS with the aid of quantum information processing. In the embodiment shown, the analysis includes a quantum image evaluation, which is also referred to as "quantum image processing".

[0039] In contrast, Figure 2 In the case of the quantum measurement analysis system according to the invention shown in FIG. 1 , the quantum sensor signal of the quantum sensor is processed by means of the method according to the invention using the full information of the quantum physical superposition state QS.

[0040] exist Figure 2 The quantum measurement analysis system according to the present invention shown in is also used to measure and process the quantum sensor signal SG of a nuclear magnetic resonance tomography device. Figure 1 As shown in the measurement and analysis system in the attached Figure 2 In the case of an integrated detection and processing unit DETCOMPU of the NMR tomography apparatus, one or more quantum sensors are present, which measure the precession frequency of atomic nuclei in an external magnetic field and use quantum sensor signals SG in the form of quantum physical superposition states for this purpose. The quantum sensor signals SG are also Figure 2 In the embodiment shown in , a quantum state QS is formed.

[0041] However, with Figure 1 Unlike the measurement and analysis system shown in Figure 2 In the case of an integrated detection and processing unit DETCOMPU, the quantum state QS is not first restored by means of a measurement and then subjected to information processing, but rather the quantum state QS is first transferred to a quantum register of qubits. In this case, the quantum state QS is transferred to the quantum register so that the qubits of the quantum register are in a superposition of qubit states. The quantum register (not explicitly shown in the drawing) is therefore in a quantum register state QRS that corresponds to the original quantum state QS in terms of its information content. This can be done very directly by transferring the qubits themselves, or, as in Figure 2 In the case shown in , the interaction of the quantum sensor signal of the quantum sensor QS with the quantum register is performed. In the embodiment shown, the original quantum state QS itself is destroyed when it is transferred to the quantum register.

[0042] The quantum register now stores the quantum register state QSR and thereby forms a quantum memory in the manner of a Q-RAM, so that the quantum sensor QSENS can perform further quantum measurements.

[0043] The quantum register can be temporarily connected to the quantum circuit of the detection and processing unit DETCOMPU. If the quantum register is connected to the quantum circuit of the detection and processing unit, the quantum register state QSR of the quantum register passes through a quantum logic device QDA with a large number of quantum logic gates as a quantum physical superposition state, with the aid of which quantum information processing of the quantum register state QSR is performed. The individual quantum logic gates implement a quantum logic algorithm, which in particular together includes a quantum Fourier transformation. In other embodiments not specifically shown, the quantum circuit of the detection and processing unit DETCOMPU can be configured to form each quantum gate of at least one universal quantum gate set, or the quantum circuit has each quantum gate of the universal quantum gate set.

[0044] For the intermediate result of the quantum information processing of the quantum register state QSR, an output quantum register is provided, wherein the output qubit adopts a quantum physical output quantum register state QCR, which is realized as a quantum physical superposition of the output qubit state. With the help of this output qubit, the final result of the quantum information processing can be obtained, for example, by repeated measurement of the continuously successive output qubit states and with the help of other quantum logic operations IMPRANA and subsequent measurements. To this end, quantum logic algorithms and other quantum logic operations IMPRANA are performed on the output quantum register state QCR.

[0045] In other embodiments not specifically shown, the quantum measurement analysis system according to the present invention is not a nuclear magnetic resonance tomography device, but a manufacturing device according to the present invention, and instead of a tissue sample, a measurement object in the form of a workpiece is measured. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the measurement analysis system is a maintenance device and the measurement object is a workpiece or the measurement analysis system is a logistics device.

[0046] In further embodiments, not expressly shown, which otherwise correspond to the embodiment shown, the quantum registers and quantum circuits of the detection and processing unit DETCOMPU comprise a two-state or multi-state system which is different from the two-state or multi-state system used by the quantum sensor QSENS for providing the quantum sensor signal.

Claims

1. A method for processing a quantum sensor signal (SG) of at least one quantum sensor (QSENS), wherein at least one quantum sensor signal (SG) is obtained in the form of at least one quantum physical superposition state (QS) by means of at least one quantum sensor (QSENS), and the at least one superposition state (QS) is processed by means of quantum information processing without prior reduction.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the quantum information processing comprises data analysis, in particular quantum machine learning and / or quantum image processing.

3. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the quantum information processing is not limited to detection by means of the at least one quantum sensor (QSENS).

4. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the quantum information processing comprises applying quantum logic operations, in particular applying quantum logic gates and / or quantum Fourier transforms.

5. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the quantum logic operation makes full use of at least one universal set of quantum gates, i.e. a universal set of quantum gates, preferably using each quantum gate of the universal set at least once or multiple times. 6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the superposition state (QS) of the quantum sensor signal (SG) is stored, in particular in at least one quantum register designed as a quantum memory.

7. A measurement and analysis system having at least one quantum sensor (QSENS), in particular configured to carry out a method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the quantum sensor (QSENS) is configured to provide at least one quantum sensor signal (SG) in the form of a quantum physical superposition state (QS), and a quantum computer (QC) having a quantum register and a quantum logic device (QDA) for quantum information processing of the quantum register, wherein in the case of the measurement and analysis system, at least one quantum sensor signal in the form of a superposition state can be converted into at least one superposition state (QSR) of the quantum register without prior reduction, or can constitute a superposition state of the quantum register.

8. The measurement and analysis system according to claim 7, wherein the quantum register is a quantum memory.

9. A measurement and analysis system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the quantum sensor signal (SG) can be transformed by means of state transfer and / or by means of particle transfer and / or by means of quasiparticle transfer and / or by means of field transfer and / or by means of ion trap transfer and / or by means of crystal defect transfer.

10. The measurement and analysis system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the quantum information processing comprises data analysis, in particular quantum machine learning and / or quantum image processing.

11. Measurement and analysis system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the quantum information processing is preferably not limited to detection by means of the quantum sensor (QSENS).

12. The measurement and analysis system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the quantum logic device (QDA) comprises a device and / or a sequence of quantum logic gates and / or a device for performing a quantum Fourier transformation.

13. A measurement analysis system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the quantum logic device is configurable to form each quantum gate of at least one universal quantum gate set.

14. The measurement analysis system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the quantum logic device has each quantum gate of a universal quantum gate set.

15. A nuclear magnetic resonance tomography device and / or a production device and / or a maintenance device which is configured to carry out the method according to any one of the preceding claims and / or has a measurement and evaluation system (DETCOMPU) according to any one of the preceding claims.

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