Starting summer 2021, we will develop tools for interfacing between MDF and quantum computers. This interface is motivated by expectations that quantum hardware will provide speedups for solving Ising-type MDF problems. We will address both gate- and annealing- based quantum computers:
- for gate-based quantum computers, we will bridge from MDF to OpenQASM, the leading quantum Intermediate Representation.
- for annealing-based quantum computers, we will target platforms such as D-Wave Ocean.
Our work will be agnostic to the exact quantum algorithm/solver used, though we will provide sample implementations using Variational Quantum Eigensolver (VQE) and Quantum Approximate Optimization Algorithm.
As a first step, we have begun developing implementations targeting quantum hardware for the key computations in several cognitive models as listed below. Next, we will extend MDF so that quantum implementations such as the ones we develop, can be expressed in it.
| Tasks | Models | Key computations | Quantum algorithms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Two alternative forced choice | Quantum walk | Evolution, Projection | Unitary evolution, Hamiltonian simulation |
| Multiple alternative models | Potential wells | Eigenstates and values | Variational methods (e.g., subspace and deflation) |
| Bistable perception | Quantum walk | Evolution, projection | Unitary evolution, Hamiltonian simulation |
| Control | Leaky Competing Integrator | Optimization | Quantum annealing |
| Parameter estimation | Data fitting | Optimization | Quantum annealing |