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. 2016 Jul 6:6:29507.
doi: 10.1038/srep29507.

Quantum memristors

P Pfeiffer  1 , I L Egusquiza  2 , M Di Ventra  3 , M Sanz  1 , E Solano  1   4
Affiliations

Quantum memristors

P Pfeiffer et al. Sci Rep. .

Abstract

Technology based on memristors, resistors with memory whose resistance depends on the history of the crossing charges, has lately enhanced the classical paradigm of computation with neuromorphic architectures. However, in contrast to the known quantized models of passive circuit elements, such as inductors, capacitors or resistors, the design and realization of a quantum memristor is still missing. Here, we introduce the concept of a quantum memristor as a quantum dissipative device, whose decoherence mechanism is controlled by a continuous-measurement feedback scheme, which accounts for the memory. Indeed, we provide numerical simulations showing that memory effects actually persist in the quantum regime. Our quantization method, specifically designed for superconducting circuits, may be extended to other quantum platforms, allowing for memristor-type constructions in different quantum technologies. The proposed quantum memristor is then a building block for neuromorphic quantum computation and quantum simulations of non-Markovian systems.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Artist view of a quantum memristor coupled to a superconducting circuit in which there is an information flow between the circuit and the memristive environment.
Figure 2
Figure 2
(a) Scheme of an LC circuit shunted by a memristor, which following our scheme, it is replaced by a tunable dissipative ohmic environment (depicted by the resistor with a knob to choose a resistance value between R1 and R2), a weak-measurement protocol (depicted by the voltmeter on the right), and a feedback tuning the coupling of the system to the dissipative environment depending on the measurement outcome (represented by the grey arrow). (b) Feedback model of a memristor and implementation in quantum dynamics via a feedback-controlled open quantum system.
Figure 3
Figure 3. Hysteresis plots of the memristor for the unconditioned evolution with increasing projection frequencies τ.
The comparison with the classical hysteresis curve (black, dashed) shows the collapse in the case of a very strong or very weak measurement. The inset shows the evolution of the damping rate and depict several of the underlying stochastic trajectories corresponding to one realisation of the conditioned dynamics. The parameters are formula image, the initial conditions are formula imageformula image and the average was obtained by generating 3000 trajectories of the stochastic dynamics via the Euler algorithm with dt = 10−3.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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