Quantum-inspired genetic algorithm for designing planar multilayer photonic structure

Quantum algorithms are emerging tools in the design of functional materials due to their powerful solution space search capability. How to balance the high price of quantum computing resources and the growing computing needs has become an urgent problem to be solved. We propose a novel optimization strategy based on an active learning scheme that combines the Quantum-inspired Genetic Algorithm (QGA) with machine learning surrogate model regression. Using Random Forests as the surrogate model circumvents the time-consuming physical modeling or experiments, thereby improving the optimization efficiency. QGA, a genetic algorithm embedded with quantum mechanics, combines the advantages of quantum computing and genetic algorithms, enabling faster and more robust convergence to the optimum. Using the design of planar multilayer photonic structures for transparent radiative cooling as a testbed, we show superiority of our algorithm over the classical genetic algorithm (CGA). Additionally, we show the precision advantage of the Random Forest (RF) model as a flexible surrogate model, which relaxes the constraints on the type of surrogate model that can be used in other quantum computing optimization algorithms (e.g., quantum annealing needs Ising model as a surrogate).