Optimal quantum state transformations based on machine learning

It is well known that quantum algorithms may solve problems efficiently that are intractable using conventional algorithms. Quantum algorithms can be designed with a set of universal quantum gates that transform input states into desired output states. However, designing quantum algorithms that transform states in desired ways is challenging due to its complexity. In this paper, we propose a machine learning framework for the transformation of unknown states into their corresponding target states. Specifically, a parameterized quantum circuit learns a given task by tuning its parameters. After the learning is done, the circuit is competent for the quantum task. This allows us to circumvent cumbersome circuit design based on universal quantum gates. If perfect transformation is forbidden by quantum theory, an optimal transformation can be obtained in terms of fidelity. This provides a research method to study various quantum no-go theorems that characterize the intrinsic gap between quantum and classical information. As examples, quantum state rotation and quantum state cloning are studied using numerical simulations. We also show the good robustness of our machine learning framework to corrupted training data, which is a very nice property for physical implementation on near-term noisy intermediate-scale quantum devices.