Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Yi, Zhehao, Bhadani, Rahul
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.14820
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1866917090186756096
author Yi, Zhehao
Bhadani, Rahul
author_facet Yi, Zhehao
Bhadani, Rahul
contents Variational quantum algorithms (VQAs) combine the advantages of classical optimization and quantum computation, making them one of the most promising approaches in the Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum (NISQ) era. However, when optimized using gradient descent, VQAs often suffer from the vanishing gradient problem, commonly known as the barren plateau. Various methods have been proposed to mitigate this issue. In this work, we propose a hybrid approach that integrates a classical proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller with a neural network to update the parameters of variational quantum circuits. We refer to this method as NPID, which aims to mitigate the barren plateau. The proposed algorithm is tested on randomly generated quantum input states and random quantum circuits with parametric noise to evaluate its universality, and additional simulations are conducted under different noise rates to examine its robustness. The effectiveness of the proposed method is evaluated based on its convergence speed toward the target cost value. Simulation results show that NPID achieves a convergence efficiency 2-9 times higher than NEQP and QV, with performance fluctuations averaging only 4.45% across different noise levels. These results highlight the potential of integrating classical control theory into quantum optimization, providing a new perspective for improving the trainability and stability of variational quantum algorithms.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2511_14820
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle The PID Controller Strikes Back: Classical Controller Helps Mitigate Barren Plateaus in Noisy Variational Quantum Circuits
Yi, Zhehao
Bhadani, Rahul
Quantum Physics
Variational quantum algorithms (VQAs) combine the advantages of classical optimization and quantum computation, making them one of the most promising approaches in the Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum (NISQ) era. However, when optimized using gradient descent, VQAs often suffer from the vanishing gradient problem, commonly known as the barren plateau. Various methods have been proposed to mitigate this issue. In this work, we propose a hybrid approach that integrates a classical proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller with a neural network to update the parameters of variational quantum circuits. We refer to this method as NPID, which aims to mitigate the barren plateau. The proposed algorithm is tested on randomly generated quantum input states and random quantum circuits with parametric noise to evaluate its universality, and additional simulations are conducted under different noise rates to examine its robustness. The effectiveness of the proposed method is evaluated based on its convergence speed toward the target cost value. Simulation results show that NPID achieves a convergence efficiency 2-9 times higher than NEQP and QV, with performance fluctuations averaging only 4.45% across different noise levels. These results highlight the potential of integrating classical control theory into quantum optimization, providing a new perspective for improving the trainability and stability of variational quantum algorithms.
title The PID Controller Strikes Back: Classical Controller Helps Mitigate Barren Plateaus in Noisy Variational Quantum Circuits
topic Quantum Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.14820