Quantum Optical Neural Networks for Quench Prevention

对安全、清洁、可靠和可持续能源的需求在重要性和紧迫性上都有所增加。满足这些需求的部分解决方案是核聚变。虽然聚变的实验进展已经证明了它的可行性，但在聚变反应堆能够长期可靠地运行并提供净能量收益之前，必须应对和协调一系列工程挑战。这些挑战包括处理来自低温冷却超导磁线圈的大量实时数据集，这些线圈维持释放能量的等离子体。如果线圈的一部分形成热点，超导电性可能会破裂；随后的快速升温和等离子体限制的丧失会导致损坏和停机时间。为了防止这种情况，必须快速定位热点，以保护单个线圈。热点可以使用称为光频域反射仪(OfDR)的过程来检测。激光沿着与线圈缠绕在一起的光纤发射；热点影响沿光纤反射回来的一些光；它的检测使热点得以定位。然而，在几分之一秒内精确定位多个线圈中的热点，需要快速处理海量数据。随着信息处理技术的成熟，各种控制和计算硬件应运而生，包括图形处理单元(GPU)、专用集成电路(ASIC)、现场可编程门阵列(FGA)、神经网络(NNS)和量子计算。其中每一个都牺牲了通用(经典)计算能力，以便为特定的信息处理任务提供更大的能力。二元量子光子公司的人员开创了集成光子学作为光学神经网络(ONN)和量子信息处理平台的先河。量子光学神经网络(QONN)是这两种范式的结合，在集成光子学中，为一系列信息处理任务提供了一个有吸引力的平台，包括处理维持聚变能量生成所需的实时数据。在这个项目中，DUALITY将与私营聚变能源公司托卡马克能源公司和英国原子能管理局合作，设计和制造光子芯片中的QONN，以处理用于快速定位热点的DR数据。该项目将展示量子计算如何帮助解决阻碍净增益聚变能源的一些信息处理挑战。

The need for secure, clean, reliable, and sustainable sources of energy has grown in both importance and urgency. Part of the solution to meet these needs is nuclear fusion. While experimental progress in fusion has evidenced its viability, a range of engineering challenges must be met and coordinated before fusion reactors can operate reliably for long periods, and to deliver a net energy gain.Among these challenges is the processing of large real-time data sets from cryogenically cooled superconducting magnetic coils that maintain the plasma from which energy is released. Superconductivity can break down if a hotspot forms in part of a coil; the subsequent rapid warming and loss of plasma confinement results in damage and downtime. To prevent this, hotspots must be rapidly located so individual coils can be protected.Hotspots can be detected using a process called optical frequency domain reflectometry (OFDR). Laser light is sent down an optical fibre that is co-wound with a coil; a hotspot affects some of the light reflected back along the fibre; its detection allows the hotspots to be located. However, precisely locating hotspots in multiple coils within fractions of a second, requires the rapid processing of vast amounts of data. This information processing challenge is a barrier to clean energy from fusion.As information processing has matured beyond the central processing unit (CPU), a variety of tailored control and computational hardware has emerged including graphics processing units (GPUs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), Neural Networks (NNs) and quantum computing. Each of these sacrifices a general purpose (classical) computing capability to enable much greater power for particular information processing tasks.The people at Duality Quantum Photonics have pioneered integrated photonics as a platform for both Optical Neural Nets (ONNs) and quantum information processing. Quantum Optical Neural Nets (QONNs), the combination of these two paradigms, in integrated photonics, provide an appealing platform for a range of information processing tasks, including the processing of real-time data required to sustain fusion energy generation.In this project, Duality will partner with the private fusion energy company Tokamak Energy, and with the UK Atomic Energy Authority, to design and fabricate QONNs in photonic chips to process OFDR data for the rapid location of hotspots. The project will demonstrate how quantum computing can help tackle some of the information processing challenges that stand in the way of net gain fusion energy.