Implementing transferable annealing protocols for combinatorial optimization on neutral-atom quantum processors: A case study on smart charging of electric vehicles

In the quantum optimization paradigm, variational quantum algorithms face challenges with hardware-specific and instance-dependent parameter tuning, which can lead to computational inefficiencies. The promising potential of parameter transferability across problem instances with similar local structures has been demonstrated in the context of the quantum approximate optimization algorithm. In this paper we build on these advancements by extending the concept to annealing-based protocols, employing Bayesian optimization to design robust quasiadiabatic schedules. Our study reveals that, for maximum independent set problems on graph families with shared geometries, optimal parameters naturally concentrate, enabling efficient transferability between similar instances and from smaller to larger ones. Experimental results on the Orion Alpha platform validate the effectiveness of our approach, scaling to problems with up to 100 qubits. We apply this method to address a smart-charging optimization problem on a real dataset. These findings highlight a scalable, resource-efficient path for hybrid optimization strategies applicable in real-world scenarios.