Hybrid boson sampling-neural network architecture for enhanced classification

Abstract Demonstration of quantum advantage for classical machine learning tasks remains a central goal for quantum technologies and artificial intelligence. Two major bottlenecks to this goal are the high dimensionality of practical datasets and the limited performance of near-term quantum computers. Boson sampling is among the few models for which experiments have claimed quantum advantage, yet it has limited practical applications. Here, we propose a hybrid framework that combines the computational power of boson sampling with the adaptability of neural networks to construct quantum kernels that enhance support vector machine classification. The neural network adapts the data features onto a programmable boson sampling circuit, producing quantum states that span a high-dimensional Hilbert space and enable improved classification performance. Using four datasets with various classes, we demonstrate that our model outperforms classical linear and sigmoid kernels. These results highlight the potential of boson sampling-based quantum kernels for practical quantum-enhanced machine learning.