EPIC-CIM: Training Convolutional Neural Networks on a Coherent Ising Machine via Equilibrium Propagation

Quantum Physics arXiv:2607.16271 (quant-ph) [Submitted on 8 Jul 2026] Title:EPIC-CIM: Training Convolutional Neural Networks on a Coherent Ising Machine via Equilibrium Propagation Authors:Xingrui Yin, Shenwei Kang, Haoqi He, Yan Xiao, Hongdong Zhu, Hai Wei, Yin Ma, Qi Gao, Xiaochun Cao, Kai Wen View a PDF of the paper titled EPIC-CIM: Training Convolutional Neural Networks on a Coherent Ising Machine via Equilibrium Propagation, by Xingrui Yin and 9 other authors View PDF HTML (experimental) Abstract:Quantum convolutional neural networks, due to the involvement of quantum measurements and discrete quantum state evolution, face inherent training challenges associated with non-differentiable operations and discrete optimization dynamics, which make conventional gradient-based learning difficult to apply effectively. In this context, energy-based learning provides a promising alternative by reformulating network training as an energy minimization process without explicit gradient this http URL this framework, input data are processed through convolutional operations, followed by quantum sampling to generate intermediate binary representations, while the output layer also relies on quantum sampling to produce final predictions. The overall network energy is composed of convolutional feature matching terms, linear coupling terms at the output layer, and global output constraint terms, enabling both parameter updates and feature evolution to be described through physically interpretable energy dynamics. Furthermore, under the equilibrium propagation mechanism, the energy difference between the free phase and the weakly clamped phase is exploited to drive parameter updates without explicit gradient computation, thereby enabling stable and consistent learning in non-differentiable and discrete spaces. While remaining consistent with classical convolutional learning theory, the proposed framework enhances interpretability and observability through quantum energy modeling, offering a unified physical perspective for efficient QCNN training and the integration of quantum computing with artificial intelligence. Subjects: Quantum Physics (quant-ph) Cite as: arXiv:2607.16271 [quant-ph] (or arXiv:2607.16271v1 [quant-ph] for this version) https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2607.16271 Focus to learn more arXiv-issued DOI via DataCite Submission history From: Xingrui Yin [view email] [v1] Wed, 8 Jul 2026 02:46:41 UTC (3,493 KB) Full-text links: Access Paper: View a PDF of the paper titled EPIC-CIM: Training Convolutional Neural Networks on a Coherent Ising Machine via Equilibrium Propagation, by Xingrui Yin and 9 other authorsView PDFHTML (experimental)TeX Source view license Current browse context: quant-ph new | recent | 2026-07 References & Citations INSPIRE HEP NASA ADSGoogle Scholar Semantic Scholar export BibTeX citation Loading... BibTeX formatted citation × loading... Data provided by: Bookmark Bibliographic Tools Bibliographic and Citation Tools Bibliographic Explorer Toggle Bibliographic Explorer (What is the Explorer?) Connected Papers Toggle Connected Papers (What is Connected Papers?) Litmaps Toggle Litmaps (What is Litmaps?) scite.ai Toggle scite Smart Citations (What are Smart Citations?) Code, Data, Media Code, Data and Media Associated with this Article alphaXiv Toggle alphaXiv (What is alphaXiv?) Links to Code Toggle CatalyzeX Code Finder for Papers (What is CatalyzeX?) DagsHub Toggle DagsHub (What is DagsHub?) GotitPub Toggle Gotit.pub (What is GotitPub?) Huggingface Toggle Hugging Face (What is Huggingface?) ScienceCast Toggle ScienceCast (What is ScienceCast?) Demos Demos Replicate Toggle Replicate (What is Replicate?) Spaces Toggle Hugging Face Spaces (What is Spaces?) Spaces Toggle TXYZ.AI (What is TXYZ.AI?) Related Papers Recommenders and Search Tools Link to Influence Flower Influence Flower (What are Influence Flowers?) Core recommender toggle CORE Recommender (What is CORE?) Author Venue Institution Topic About arXivLabs arXivLabs: experimental projects with community collaborators arXivLabs is a framework that allows collaborators to develop and share new arXiv features directly on our website. Both individuals and organizations that work with arXivLabs have embraced and accepted our values of openness, community, excellence, and user data privacy. arXiv is committed to these values and only works with partners that adhere to them. Have an idea for a project that will add value for arXiv's community? Learn more about arXivLabs. Which authors of this paper are endorsers? | Disable MathJax (What is MathJax?)