{"id":"https://openalex.org/W4416874910","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1109/qce65121.2025.00189","title":"Breaking Through Barren Plateaus: Reinforcement Learning Initializations for Deep Variational Quantum Circuits","display_name":"Breaking Through Barren Plateaus: Reinforcement Learning Initializations for Deep Variational Quantum Circuits","publication_year":2025,"publication_date":"2025-08-30","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W4416874910","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1109/qce65121.2025.00189"},"language":null,"primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.1109/qce65121.2025.00189","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/qce65121.2025.00189","pdf_url":null,"source":null,"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"2025 IEEE International Conference on Quantum Computing and Engineering (QCE)","raw_type":"proceedings-article"},"type":"article","indexed_in":["crossref"],"open_access":{"is_oa":false,"oa_status":"closed","oa_url":null,"any_repository_has_fulltext":false},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5101882137","display_name":"Yifeng Peng","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0007-3306-9417"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I108468826","display_name":"Stevens Institute of Technology","ror":"https://ror.org/02z43xh36","country_code":"US","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I108468826"]}],"countries":["US"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Yifeng Peng","raw_affiliation_strings":["School of Engineering and Science, Stevens Institute of Technology,Hoboken,USA"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"School of Engineering and Science, Stevens Institute of Technology,Hoboken,USA","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I108468826"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5100370274","display_name":"Xinyi Li","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3522-9249"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I108468826","display_name":"Stevens Institute of Technology","ror":"https://ror.org/02z43xh36","country_code":"US","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I108468826"]}],"countries":["US"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Xinyi Li","raw_affiliation_strings":["School of Engineering and Science, Stevens Institute of Technology,Hoboken,USA"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"School of Engineering and Science, Stevens Institute of Technology,Hoboken,USA","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I108468826"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5101463479","display_name":"Zhemin Zhang","orcid":null},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I165799507","display_name":"Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute","ror":"https://ror.org/01rtyzb94","country_code":"US","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I165799507"]}],"countries":["US"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Zhemin Zhang","raw_affiliation_strings":["Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute,ECSE Department,Troy,USA"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute,ECSE Department,Troy,USA","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I165799507"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5021414038","display_name":"Samuel Yen-Chi Chen","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0114-4826"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I166794780","display_name":"Wells Fargo (United States)","ror":"https://ror.org/037r2ff59","country_code":"US","type":"company","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I166794780"]}],"countries":["US"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Samuel Yen-Chi Chen","raw_affiliation_strings":["Wells Fargo,New York,USA"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Wells Fargo,New York,USA","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I166794780"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5043067670","display_name":"Zhiding Liang","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7568-0165"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I165799507","display_name":"Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute","ror":"https://ror.org/01rtyzb94","country_code":"US","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I165799507"]}],"countries":["US"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Zhiding Liang","raw_affiliation_strings":["Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute,Computer Science Department,Troy,USA"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute,Computer Science Department,Troy,USA","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I165799507"]}]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5100347118","display_name":"Ying Wang","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5789-2850"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I108468826","display_name":"Stevens Institute of Technology","ror":"https://ror.org/02z43xh36","country_code":"US","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I108468826"]}],"countries":["US"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Ying Wang","raw_affiliation_strings":["School of Engineering and Science, Stevens Institute of Technology,Hoboken,USA"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"School of Engineering and Science, Stevens Institute of Technology,Hoboken,USA","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I108468826"]}]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":1,"institutions_distinct_count":6,"corresponding_author_ids":[],"corresponding_institution_ids":[],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":3.5175,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":2,"citation_normalized_percentile":{"value":0.93789199,"is_in_top_1_percent":false,"is_in_top_10_percent":true},"cited_by_percentile_year":{"min":98,"max":99},"biblio":{"volume":null,"issue":null,"first_page":"1715","last_page":"1726"},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10682","display_name":"Quantum Computing Algorithms and Architecture","score":0.9592999815940857,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1702","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10682","display_name":"Quantum Computing Algorithms and Architecture","score":0.9592999815940857,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1702","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10020","display_name":"Quantum Information and Cryptography","score":0.01269999984651804,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1702","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11804","display_name":"Quantum many-body systems","score":0.00930000003427267,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3107","display_name":"Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/31","display_name":"Physics and Astronomy"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/initialization","display_name":"Initialization","score":0.8123999834060669},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/reinforcement-learning","display_name":"Reinforcement learning","score":0.7811999917030334},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/robustness","display_name":"Robustness (evolution)","score":0.6269999742507935},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/scalability","display_name":"Scalability","score":0.5214999914169312},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/gradient-descent","display_name":"Gradient descent","score":0.4781000018119812},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/convergence","display_name":"Convergence (economics)","score":0.4564000070095062},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/quantum","display_name":"Quantum","score":0.43479999899864197},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/flexibility","display_name":"Flexibility (engineering)","score":0.39329999685287476}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C114466953","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6034165","display_name":"Initialization","level":2,"score":0.8123999834060669},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C97541855","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q830687","display_name":"Reinforcement learning","level":2,"score":0.7811999917030334},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.6366999745368958},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C63479239","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7353546","display_name":"Robustness (evolution)","level":3,"score":0.6269999742507935},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C48044578","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q727490","display_name":"Scalability","level":2,"score":0.5214999914169312},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C153258448","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1199743","display_name":"Gradient descent","level":3,"score":0.4781000018119812},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2777303404","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q759757","display_name":"Convergence (economics)","level":2,"score":0.4564000070095062},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C84114770","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q46344","display_name":"Quantum","level":2,"score":0.43479999899864197},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C126255220","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q141495","display_name":"Mathematical optimization","level":1,"score":0.40070000290870667},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780598303","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q65921492","display_name":"Flexibility (engineering)","level":2,"score":0.39329999685287476},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C124148022","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2122210","display_name":"Quantum circuit","level":5,"score":0.38519999384880066},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C115051666","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6522493","display_name":"Ranging","level":2,"score":0.38040000200271606},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C11413529","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q8366","display_name":"Algorithm","level":1,"score":0.359499990940094},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C154945302","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11660","display_name":"Artificial intelligence","level":1,"score":0.33169999718666077},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C58053490","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q176555","display_name":"Quantum computer","level":3,"score":0.3273000121116638},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C14036430","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3736076","display_name":"Function (biology)","level":2,"score":0.3133000135421753},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2776459999","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2119376","display_name":"Fidelity","level":2,"score":0.3000999987125397},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C141934464","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3305386","display_name":"Local optimum","level":2,"score":0.29750001430511475},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C137836250","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q984063","display_name":"Optimization problem","level":2,"score":0.28209999203681946},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C57869625","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1783502","display_name":"Rate of convergence","level":3,"score":0.2653999924659729},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C75235859","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q582659","display_name":"Exponential growth","level":2,"score":0.26409998536109924},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C147764199","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6865248","display_name":"Minification","level":2,"score":0.26170000433921814},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780030769","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4968575","display_name":"Plateau (mathematics)","level":2,"score":0.2535000145435333}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":1,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.1109/qce65121.2025.00189","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/qce65121.2025.00189","pdf_url":null,"source":null,"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"2025 IEEE International Conference on Quantum Computing and Engineering (QCE)","raw_type":"proceedings-article"}],"best_oa_location":null,"sustainable_development_goals":[],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"grobid_xml":false,"pdf":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":32,"referenced_works":["https://openalex.org/W2065656615","https://openalex.org/W2790388700","https://openalex.org/W2794444783","https://openalex.org/W2796293949","https://openalex.org/W2904246096","https://openalex.org/W2921920881","https://openalex.org/W2955435611","https://openalex.org/W2995742898","https://openalex.org/W3004252283","https://openalex.org/W3007475506","https://openalex.org/W3026863321","https://openalex.org/W3045093737","https://openalex.org/W3082455048","https://openalex.org/W3093944484","https://openalex.org/W3111162498","https://openalex.org/W3116184205","https://openalex.org/W3136233239","https://openalex.org/W3141755656","https://openalex.org/W3166275705","https://openalex.org/W3207377511","https://openalex.org/W3207697613","https://openalex.org/W3208667952","https://openalex.org/W4213212652","https://openalex.org/W4214717370","https://openalex.org/W4372259985","https://openalex.org/W4382203069","https://openalex.org/W4385261005","https://openalex.org/W4401815647","https://openalex.org/W4403420421","https://openalex.org/W4406262055","https://openalex.org/W4406262096","https://openalex.org/W4409363517"],"related_works":[],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Variational":[0],"Quantum":[1],"Algorithms":[2],"(VQAs)":[3],"have":[4],"gained":[5],"prominence":[6],"as":[7,45,108,132],"a":[8,60,139,197,227],"viable":[9],"framework":[10],"for":[11,200,230,237],"exploiting":[12],"near-term":[13],"quantum":[14,206],"devices":[15],"in":[16,124,234,243],"applications":[17],"ranging":[18],"from":[19,138],"optimization":[20,128],"and":[21,97,151,165,187,220],"chemistry":[22],"simulation":[23],"to":[24,66,78,82,102],"machine":[25,202,235],"learning.":[26],"However,":[27],"the":[28,36,68,74,104,112,156,185,218,231],"effectiveness":[29],"of":[30,189,223],"VQAs":[31,113],"is":[32],"often":[33],"constrained":[34],"by":[35,72],"so-called":[37],"barren":[38,69,240],"plateau":[39,70,241],"problem,":[40],"wherein":[41],"gradients":[42],"diminish":[43],"exponentially":[44],"system":[46],"size":[47],"or":[48,135],"circuit":[49,105],"depth":[50],"increases,":[51],"thereby":[52],"hindering":[53],"training.":[54],"In":[55,85],"this":[56,125],"work,":[57],"we":[58,87],"propose":[59],"reinforcement":[61],"learning":[62,203,236],"(RL)-based":[63],"initialization":[64,158,215],"strategy":[65],"alleviate":[67],"issue":[71],"reshaping":[73],"initial":[75,142],"parameter":[76,214],"landscape":[77],"avoid":[79],"regions":[80],"prone":[81],"vanishing":[83],"gradients.":[84],"particular,":[86],"explore":[88],"several":[89],"RL":[90,123,173],"algorithms":[91,174],"(Deterministic":[92],"Policy":[93,99],"Gradient,":[94],"Soft":[95],"ActorCritic,":[96],"Proximal":[98],"Optimization,":[100],"etc.)":[101],"generate":[103],"parameters":[106],"(treated":[107],"\u201cactions\u201d)":[109],"that":[110,155,176],"minimize":[111],"cost":[114],"function":[115],"before":[116],"standard":[117],"gradient-based":[118],"optimization.":[119],"By":[120],"pre-training":[121],"with":[122],"manner,":[126],"subsequent":[127],"using":[129],"methods":[130],"such":[131],"gradient":[133],"descent":[134],"Adam":[136],"proceeds":[137],"more":[140],"favorable":[141],"state.":[143],"Extensive":[144],"numerical":[145],"experiments":[146],"under":[147],"various":[148],"noise":[149],"conditions":[150],"tasks":[152],"consistently":[153],"demonstrate":[154],"RL-based":[157],"method":[159],"significantly":[160],"enhances":[161],"both":[162],"convergence":[163],"speed":[164],"final":[166],"solution":[167],"quality.":[168],"Moreover,":[169],"comparisons":[170],"among":[171],"different":[172],"highlight":[175],"multiple":[177],"approaches":[178],"can":[179,216],"achieve":[180],"comparable":[181],"performance":[182],"gains,":[183],"underscoring":[184],"flexibility":[186],"robustness":[188],"our":[190],"method.":[191],"These":[192],"findings":[193],"shed":[194],"light":[195],"on":[196],"promising":[198,228],"avenue":[199],"integrating":[201],"techniques":[204],"into":[205,211],"algorithm":[207],"design,":[208],"offering":[209],"insights":[210],"how":[212],"RL-driven":[213],"accelerate":[217],"scalability":[219],"practical":[221],"deployment":[222],"VQAs.":[224,244],"Opening":[225],"up":[226],"path":[229],"research":[232],"community":[233],"quantum,":[238],"especially":[239],"problems":[242]},"counts_by_year":[{"year":2026,"cited_by_count":2}],"updated_date":"2026-06-11T09:08:48.828518","created_date":"2025-12-01T00:00:00"}
