Re-uploading quantum data: A universal function approximator for quantum inputs
Abstract
Quantum data re-uploading has proved powerful for classical inputs, where repeatedly encoding features into a small circuit yields universal function approximation. Extending this idea to quantum inputs remains underexplored, as the information contained in a quantum state is not directly accessible in classical form. We propose and analyze a quantum data re-uploading architecture in which a qubit interacts sequentially with fresh copies of an arbitrary input state. The circuit can approximate any bounded continuous function using only one ancilla qubit and single-qubit measurements. By alternating entangling unitaries with mid-circuit resets of the input register, the architecture realizes a discrete cascade of completely positive and trace-preserving maps, analogous to collision models in open quantum system dynamics. Our framework provides a qubit-efficient and expressive approach to designing quantum machine learning models that operate directly on quantum data.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2509.18530,
title = {Re-uploading quantum data: A universal function approximator for quantum inputs},
author = {Hyunho Cha and Daniel K. Park and Jungwoo Lee},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2509.18530},
year = {2025}
}
Comments
24 pages, 11 figures