Quantum machine learning for complex systems: paradigms, applications, and challenges

Quantum machine learning (QML) is rapidly transitioning from theoretical promise to practical relevance across data-intensive scientific domains. In this review, we provide a structured overview of recent advances that bridge foundational quantum learning principles with real-world applications. We survey foundational QML paradigms, including variational quantum algorithms, quantum kernel methods, and neural-network quantum states, with emphasis on their applicability to complex quantum systems. We examine neural-network quantum states as expressive variational models for correlated matter, non-equilibrium dynamics, and open quantum systems, and discuss fundamental challenges associated with training and sampling. Recent advances in quantum-enhanced sampling and diagnostics of learning dynamics, including information-theoretic tools, are reviewed as mechanisms for improving scalability and trainability. The review further highlights application-driven QML frameworks in drug discovery, cancer biology, and agro-climate modeling, where data complexity and constraints motivate hybrid quantum–classical approaches. We conclude with a discussion of federated quantum machine learning as a route to distributed, privacy-preserving quantum learning. Overall, this review presents a unified perspective on the opportunities and limitations of QML for complex systems.