Method for processing a quantum sensor signal

Abstract

In the method for processing a quantum sensor signal of at least one quantum sensor, at least one quantum sensor signal is obtained in the form of a quantum-physical superposition state by means of the quantum sensor, and this processes at least one superposition state using quantum information processing. The measurement analysis system comprises at least one quantum sensor, which is designed for providing at least one quantum sensor signal in the form of a quantum-physical superposition state, and a quantum computer with a quantum register and a quantum logic device for quantum information processing of the quantum register. In the measurement analysis system, the at least one quantum sensor signal can be converted into at least one superposition state of the quantum register.

Description

[0001] Description

[0002] METHOD FOR PROCESSING A QUANTUM SENSOR SIGNAL

[0003] The invention relates to a method for processing a quantum sensor signal of a quantum sensor and a measurement analysis system with a quantum sensor.

[0004] Measurement analysis systems with quantum sensors are known in which the quantum sensors use special properties of quantum systems such as entanglement or interference to achieve a higher precision than is possible with conventional classical sensors.

[0005] Such quantum sensors are used in particular for the detection of external physical quantities, especially electric or magnetic fields, whereby the sensitivity of quantum states to environmental influences is exploited.

[0006] In this case, a superposition state of the quantum sensor is used, and an influence on the superposition state is used to infer the external physical quantity. The superposition state of the quantum sensor can be reduced during a measurement, and the external physical quantity can be inferred.

[0007] Against the background of the prior art, it is the object of the invention to provide an improved method for processing a quantum sensor signal of a quantum sensor and an improved measurement analysis system with a quantum sensor.

[0008] This object of the invention is achieved by a method having the features specified in claim 1, as well as by a measurement analysis system having the features specified in claim 7, and by a magnetic resonance tomograph, and by a manufacturing device, and by a maintenance device having the features specified in claim 15. Preferred developments of the invention are specified in the associated subclaims, the following description, and the drawings.

[0009] In the method according to the invention for processing at least one quantum sensor signal 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 the at least one quantum sensor and this at least one superposition state is processed without prior reduction by means of quantum information processing.

[0010] In the method according to the invention, therefore, a quantum sensor signal of the at least one quantum sensor is not first measured and thus reduced, as has been customary up to now, but the at least one quantum sensor signal is retained as a quantum physical superposition state and made accessible to quantum information processing without intermediate measurement, i.e., without prior reduction of the quantum physical superposition state. By means of the method according to the invention, special quantum properties such as the relative phase information of a superposition state or the entanglement of the at least one superposition state, for example, the entanglement of several qubits of the at least one quantum sensor signal, can be used for quantum information processing.Consequently, the method according to the invention not only enables improved detection by means of the at least one quantum sensor, but also improves quantum information processing of the at least one quantum sensor signal. Data can therefore be evaluated more quickly and with improved quality. Quantum-based analysis methods can also be used directly in quantum information processing to great advantage. This is because such quantum-based analysis methods regularly require input data in the form of at least one quantum-physical superposition state, which in the method according to the invention is advantageously already available in the form of the at least one quantum sensor signal of the at least one quantum sensor. Complex coding of a classical signal into a quantum-physical superposition state is therefore advantageously unnecessary in the method according to the invention.

[0011] It is understood that such a quantum sensor used in the sense of the method according to the invention is preferably designed such that an external physical quantity, i.e. preferably a quantity that does not characterize the quantum sensor or the superposition state of the quantum sensor, can be measured by means of the superposition state. The quantum sensor is therefore designed and configured such that the quantum sensor used according to the invention is not primarily designed to measure the state of the quantum sensor itself, but rather to provide a superposition state which, by reducing this superposition state, makes the external physical quantity, i.e. the measured quantity of the quantum sensor, measurable.

[0012] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the external physical quantity is not to be understood as an unintentional noise influence. Rather, the quantum sensor is specially configured for coupling with the external physical quantity to be detected by the quantum sensor and / or is specially insulated, in particular shielded, to prevent the influence of quantities that are not identical to the external physical quantity.

[0013] It is understood that a quantum sensor used according to the invention refers to a quantum sensor that provides a quantum sensor signal dependent on the external physical quantity. However, an evaluation circuit that evaluates the quantum sensor signal by reducing the quantum physical superposition state and, together with the quantum sensor, forms a measuring device, is not, or at least not necessarily, a part of the quantum sensor used according to the invention.

[0014] The quantum sensor is expediently specially designed and set up, in particular configured, for detecting the external physical quantity.

[0015] The quantum physical superposition states are expediently realized using qubits. The qubits are preferably formed with ion traps, crystal defects, particularly in diamond crystals, and / or as superconducting qubits.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, quantum information processing comprises data analysis, in particular quantum machine learning and / or quantum image processing. In this way, quantum sensor signals could be easily analyzed using quantum-assisted data analysis. In particular, the method according to the invention makes quantum sensor signals very directly accessible to evaluation methods such as quantum machine learning and / or quantum image processing, so that complex evaluation methods that were previously unavailable or only available with great effort are now available for quantum sensors.

[0017] In the method according to the invention, quantum information processing is preferably not limited to detection by means of the at least one quantum sensor. The quantum information processing in this embodiment of the invention therefore involves actual quantum-logical quantum information processing in the narrow sense, i.e., quantum information processing by means of quantum-logical processes. In the method according to the invention, quantum information processing preferably comprises the application of quantum-logical operations, in particular the application of quantum-logical gates and / or a quantum Fourier transformation.

[0018] Particularly preferably, in an advantageous development of the method according to the invention, the quantum logic operations utilize at least one universal set, i.e. a universal set, of quantum gates, i.e. the quantum information processing uses each quantum gate of the universal set at least once.

[0019] In a preferred development of the invention, the method stores at least one superposition state of the at least one quantum sensor signal, in particular in at least one quantum register designed as a quantum memory. In this development of the invention, the quantum sensor signals do not have to be kept ready by the at least one quantum sensor until the quantum sensor signals are further processed by means of quantum information processing. Instead, quantum sensor signals can be stored so that the at least one quantum sensor can already be ready to detect new quantum sensor signals. The detection rate of the at least one quantum sensor is therefore independent of the use of the quantum sensor signals for quantum information processing and is advantageously not limited.

[0020] In a preferred development of the method according to the invention, the quantum information processing is carried out using two- or multi-state systems that are different from the two- or multi-state systems used by the quantum sensor to realize its quantum sensor signal. Thus, different architectures, in particular different hardware architectures, are used for the quantum sensor and for the quantum information processing. The measurement analysis system according to the invention has at least one quantum sensor configured to provide at least one quantum sensor signal in the form of a quantum physical superposition state, and a quantum computer with a quantum register and a quantum logic device for quantum information processing of the quantum register.In the measurement analysis system according to the invention, the at least one quantum sensor signal can be converted into a superposition state of the quantum register without prior reduction in the state of the superposition state, or the quantum sensor signal forms the superposition state of the quantum register without prior reduction.

[0021] Consequently, in the measurement analysis system according to the invention, a classical measurement signal from the at least one quantum sensor is not obtained, as has been usual up to now, and the classical measurement signal is subsequently encoded into a quantum physical superposition state, which is then in turn transmitted to the quantum logic device. Instead, quantum information processing of the at least one quantum sensor signal can take place directly, i.e., without prior reduction of the quantum sensor signal in the superposition state. The measurement analysis system according to the invention therefore advantageously allows the method according to the invention, as described above, to be carried out simply. Accordingly, the measurement analysis system according to the invention has the advantages already described for the method according to the invention.

[0022] In the measurement analysis system according to the invention, the quantum register is preferably a quantum memory. By means of the quantum memory, in particular a Q-RAM, the states of the quantum sensor can advantageously be temporarily stored, so that the 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, the at least one quantum sensor can be returned to a measurement-ready operating state, so that a high data rate can be achieved using the at least one quantum sensor.The operation of the at least one quantum sensor is therefore not limited by the acquisition of the at least one quantum sensor signal by the quantum logic device. Rather, multiple quantum sensor signals can also be successively acquired and jointly fed to the quantum logic device via multiple quantum registers in the form of quantum memories. In this development, complex quantum logic methods for quantum information processing can therefore also be implemented in the measurement analysis system according to the invention.

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

[0024] In the measurement analysis system according to the invention, the quantum information processing preferably comprises data analysis, in particular quantum machine learning and / or quantum image processing. Particularly in the case of quantum machine learning and / or quantum image processing, the advantage of direct quantum information processing of a quantum physical superposition state provided by the quantum sensor, which is possible according to the invention, can be easily realized.

[0025] In an advantageous development of the inventive

[0026] In a measurement analysis system, quantum information processing is preferably not limited to detection by means of the at least one quantum sensor signal, i.e., quantum information processing is actually not just an improved determination of the measurement variable detected by the at least one quantum sensor. Instead, in this development, the at least one quantum sensor signal is processed in such a way that a processing result of the quantum information processing goes beyond merely improved detection by means of the at least one quantum sensor signal. The at least one quantum sensor signal is therefore particularly preferably linked to further variables or signals to form new information.

[0027] In the measurement analysis system according to the invention, the quantum logic device comprises an array and / or sequence of quantum logic gates and / or an array for performing a quantum Fourier transformation. Consequently, complex quantum information processing algorithms are available in this embodiment of the invention.

[0028] Particularly preferably, in the measurement analysis system, the quantum logic device is configurable to form each quantum gate of at least one universal set of quantum gates, 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 analysis system is expediently configured to be configurable to use each quantum gate of the universal set. In this way, several different, in principle arbitrary, in particular arbitrarily complex, quantum information processing algorithms can be implemented by means of the measurement analysis system according to the invention.

[0029] In an advantageous development of the measurement analysis system according to the invention, the quantum logic device comprises each quantum gate of a universal set of quantum gates, such as the universal set as described in the previous development or a different universal set, at least once. In this development of the invention, sufficiently complex quantum information processing algorithms can therefore be implemented in the quantum logic device.

[0030] In a preferred embodiment of the measurement analysis system according to the invention, the quantum register and / or the quantum logic device comprise two- or multi-state systems that are different from the two- or multi-state systems used by the quantum sensor to provide the quantum sensor signal. Thus, different architectures, in particular different hardware architectures, are used for the quantum sensor and the quantum computer.

[0031] The magnetic resonance tomograph 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 is / are each set up to carry out a method according to the invention as described above and / or has a measurement analysis system according to the invention as described above.

[0032] In the case of a magnetic resonance tomograph according to the invention, the quantum logic device is preferably designed for quantum information processing of magnetic resonance signals. In the case of the production device according to the invention, however, the quantum logic device is preferably designed for quantum information processing of production signals, in particular feedback signals which occur during production and which are particularly preferably used to adapt the production process. In the case of a maintenance device according to the invention, the quantum logic device is preferably designed for quantum information processing of maintenance signals, for example maintenance signals relating to the state of an object to be maintained. In the case of a logistics device according to the invention, the quantum logic device is expediently designed for quantum information processing of logistics signals.The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to an exemplary embodiment illustrated in the drawing. In the drawings:

[0033] Fig. 1 shows a conventional measurement analysis system with a quantum sensor for conventional information processing of a quantum sensor signal of the quantum sensor schematically in a principle sketch and

[0034] Fig. 2 shows 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 the quantum sensor schematically in a principle sketch.

[0035] The measurement analysis system shown in Fig. 1 uses a quantum sensor QSENS to measure a quantum sensor signal. In the illustrated embodiment, the quantum sensor QSENS is a quantum sensor QSENS of a magnetic resonance imaging scanner according to the invention. The quantum sensor QSENS is a magnetic field sensor that measures the precession frequency of atomic nuclei in external magnetic fields using quantum measurements. For this purpose, quantum sensor signals SG are obtained from the measurement object—in the illustrated embodiment, a tissue sample—in a manner known per se.

[0036] 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 measurement accuracy. The quantum sensor signals SG of the measurement object therefore form non-classical states, which are also referred to below as quantum states QS.

[0037] To evaluate the information obtained from the quantum sensor, the quantum state QS obtained by the quantum sensor QSENS is reduced to a classical state by means of a measurement process. This means that the quantum state QS detected by the quantum sensor QSENS is not retained, but is irreversibly reduced to a classical state GLASS.

[0038] The classical state GLASS can then be evaluated, for example, using a quantum computer. For this purpose, the classical state GLASS is encoded into a new quantum state NEQS using a coding process CODQS and made available to the quantum computer. The quantum computer performs an analysis ANA to evaluate the classical states GLASS provided by the quantum sensor QSENS using quantum information processing. In the illustrated embodiment, the analysis includes quantum image analysis, also known as "quantum image processing."

[0039] In contrast, in the quantum measurement analysis system according to the invention shown in Fig. 2, the full information of the quantum physical superposition state QS is used by means of the inventive method for processing a quantum sensor signal of a quantum sensor.

[0040] The quantum measurement analysis system according to the invention shown in Fig. 2 also serves to measure and process quantum sensor signals SG of a magnetic resonance tomograph. As in the measurement analysis system shown in Fig. 1, the integrated detection and processing unit DETCOMPU of drawing Figure 2 contains one or more quantum sensors of a magnetic resonance tomograph, which measures the precession frequency of atomic nuclei in external magnetic fields and uses quantum sensor signals SG in the form of quantum physical superposition states for this purpose. The quantum sensor signals SG also form quantum states QS in the exemplary embodiment shown in Fig. 2.

[0041] In contrast to the measurement analysis system shown in Fig. 1, however, in the integrated detection and processing unit DETCOMPU of Fig. 2 the quantum state QS is not first reduced by means of a measurement and then subjected to information processing, but the quantum state QS is first transferred to a quantum register of qubits. The quantum state QS is transferred to the quantum register in such a way that the qubits of the quantum register are in a superposition state of qubit states. This quantum register (not explicitly shown in the drawing) is therefore in a quantum register state QRS which corresponds in terms of its information content to the original quantum state QS. This can occur either very directly by a transfer of the qubits themselves or as in the case shown in Fig.2, by means of an interaction of the quantum sensor signal of the quantum sensor QS with the quantum register. In the illustrated embodiment, the original quantum state QS itself is destroyed during transfer to the quantum register.

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

[0043] The quantum register can be temporarily connected to a 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, as a quantum physical superposition state, through a quantum logic array QDA with a multitude of quantum logic gates, by means of which quantum information processing of the quantum register state QSR takes place. The individual quantum logic gates implement a quantum logic algorithm that includes, among other things, a quantum Fourier transformation.In further embodiments not specifically shown, the quantum circuit of the detection and processing unit DETCOMPU is configurable to form each quantum gate of at least one universal set of quantum gates or the quantum circuit has each quantum gate of a universal set of quantum gates.

[0044] For an intermediate result of the quantum information processing of the quantum register state QSR, an output quantum register is provided in which output qubits assume a quantum physical output quantum register state QCR, which is realized as a quantum physical superposition of output qubit states. Using this output qubit, a final result of the quantum information processing can be obtained, for example, through repetitive measurements on successively successive output qubit states and by means of further quantum logic operations IMPRANA and subsequent measurements. The quantum logic algorithm and the further quantum logic operations IMPRANA are performed on the output quantum register state QCR.

[0045] In further embodiments not specifically illustrated, the quantum measurement analysis system according to the invention is not a magnetic resonance tomograph, but rather a manufacturing device according to the invention, and instead of a tissue sample, a measurement object in the form of a workpiece is measured. Alternatively, in further 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 specifically shown, which otherwise correspond to the illustrated embodiment, the quantum register and quantum circuit of the detection and processing unit DETCOMPU comprise two- or multi-state systems which are different from the two- or multi-state systems which the quantum sensor QSENS uses to provide the quantum sensor signal.

Claims

Patent claims 1. Method for processing a quantum sensor signal (SG) of at least one quantum sensor (QSENS) in which at least one quantum sensor signal (SG) in the form of at least one quantum physical superposition state (QS) is obtained by means of the at least one quantum sensor (QSENS) and this at least one superposition state (QS) is processed without prior reduction by means of quantum information processing.

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

3. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the quantum information processing is not exhausted by detection using the at least one quantum sensor (QSENS).

4. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the quantum information processing comprises the application of quantum logic operations, in particular the application of quantum logic gates and / or a quantum Fourier transform.

5. A method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the quantum logic operations exhaust at least one universal set, i.e. a universal set, of quantum gates, preferably utilizing each quantum gate of the universal set at least once or several times.

6. Method according to one of the preceding claims, 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. Measurement analysis system with at least one quantum sensor (QSENS), in particular configured for carrying out a method according to one 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 with a quantum computer (QC) comprising a quantum register and a quantum logic device (QDA) for quantum information processing of the quantum register, wherein in the measurement analysis system the at least quantum sensor signal in the superposition state can be converted into at least one superposition state (QSR) of the quantum register without prior reduction or forms the superposition state of the quantum register.

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

9. Measurement analysis system according to one of the preceding claims, in which the quantum sensor signal (SG) can be transferred by means of a state transfer and / or 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 an ion trap transfer and / or by means of a crystal defect transfer.

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

11. Measurement analysis system according to one of the preceding claims, in which the quantum information processing preferably does not consist solely of detection by means of the quantum sensor (QSENS).

12. Measurement analysis system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the quantum logic device (QDA) is a device- Includes an order and / or sequence of quantum logic gates and / or an arrangement for performing a quantum Fourier transformation.

13. Measurement analysis system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the quantum logic device is configurable for forming each quantum gate of at least one universal set of quantum gates.

14. Measurement analysis system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the quantum logic device comprises each quantum gate of a universal set of quantum gates.

15. Nuclear magnetic resonance tomograph and / or manufacturing facility and / or maintenance facility, equipped for carrying out a method according to one of the preceding claims and / or with a measurement analysis system (DETCOMPU) according to one of the preceding claims.

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