MSU and Lebedev Institute Physicists Solve Key Mathematical Problem Behind a Quantum Memristor
Russian researchers have derived an analytical solution describing a single-ion quantum memory element, a step that could support the development of quantum neural networks.
Physicists from Lomonosov Moscow State University’s Faculty of Physics and the P. N. Lebedev Physical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences have analyzed a quantum memristor based on a single ytterbium-171 ion (¹⁷¹Yb⁺) and obtained an analytical solution for the equations governing its operation. The findings were published in the journal JETP Letters.
A memristor is a memory-enabled electronic component whose resistance depends on its past states. A quantum memristor operates using quantum signals, opening a potential path toward quantum neuromorphic systems – quantum counterparts of biological neural networks.
The researchers examined a regime in which laser pulses are separated by long time intervals. This allowed them to break a complex system of equations into two simpler parts and derive exact solutions for both. The team was also able to express the memristor’s input and output signals in terms of the parameters of the laser pulses.
The authors further found that one parameter has a strong influence on the shape of the hysteresis loop, a key characteristic of a memristor. That insight makes it possible to control the quantum memristor’s states through feedback mechanisms.
Another important outcome of the work was the unification of the ion-based memristor’s parameters with those used in a photonic platform.
