Penalty function-based joint diagonalization approach for convolutive blind separation of nonstationary sources

A new approach for convolutive blind source separation (BSS) by explicitly exploiting the second-order nonstationarity of signals and operating in the frequency domain is proposed. The algorithm accommodates a penalty function within the cross-power spectrum-based cost function and thereby converts the separation problem into a joint diagonalization problem with unconstrained optimization. This leads to a new member of the family of joint diagonalization criteria and a modification of the search direction of the gradient-based descent algorithm. Using this approach, not only can the degenerate solution induced by a unmixing matrix and the effect of large errors within the elements of covariance matrices at low-frequency bins be automatically removed, but in addition, a unifying view to joint diagonalization with unitary or nonunitary constraint is provided. Numerical experiments are presented to verify the performance of the new method, which show that a suitable penalty function may lead the algorithm to a faster convergence and a better performance for the separation of convolved speech signals, in particular, in terms of shape preservation and amplitude ambiguity reduction, as compared with the conventional second-order based algorithms for convolutive mixtures that exploit signal nonstationarity

Non-orthogonal joint block diagonalization based on the LU or QR factorizations for convolutive blind source separation

This article addresses the problem of blind source separation, in which the source signals are most often of the convolutive mixtures, and moreover, the source signals cannot satisfy independent identical distribution generally. One kind of prevailing and representative approaches for overcoming these difficulties is joint block diagonalization (JBD) method. To improve present JBD methods, we present a class of simple Jacobi-type JBD algorithms based on the LU or QR factorizations. Using Jacobi-type matrices we can replace high dimensional minimization problems with a sequence of simple one-dimensional problems. The novel methods are more general i.e. the orthogonal, positive definite or symmetric matrices and a preliminary whitening stage is no more compulsorily required, and further, the convergence is also guaranteed. The performance of the proposed algorithms, compared with the existing state-of-the-art JBD algorithms, is evaluated with computer simulations and vibration experimental. The results of numerical examples demonstrate that the robustness and effectiveness of the two novel algorithms provide a significant improvement i.e., yield less convergence time, higher precision of convergence, better success rate of block diagonalization. And the proposed algorithms are effective in separating the vibration signals of convolutive mixtures

Development of Grid e-Infrastructure in South-Eastern Europe

Over the period of 6 years and three phases, the SEE-GRID programme has established a strong regional human network in the area of distributed scientific computing and has set up a powerful regional Grid infrastructure. It attracted a number of user communities and applications from diverse fields from countries throughout the South-Eastern Europe. From the infrastructure point view, the first project phase has established a pilot Grid infrastructure with more than 20 resource centers in 11 countries. During the subsequent two phases of the project, the infrastructure has grown to currently 55 resource centers with more than 6600 CPUs and 750 TBs of disk storage, distributed in 16 participating countries. Inclusion of new resource centers to the existing infrastructure, as well as a support to new user communities, has demanded setup of regionally distributed core services, development of new monitoring and operational tools, and close collaboration of all partner institution in managing such a complex infrastructure. In this paper we give an overview of the development and current status of SEE-GRID regional infrastructure and describe its transition to the NGI-based Grid model in EGI, with the strong SEE regional collaboration.Comment: 22 pages, 12 figures, 4 table

Random Matrices close to Hermitian or unitary: overview of methods and results

The paper discusses progress in understanding statistical properties of complex eigenvalues (and corresponding eigenvectors) of weakly non-unitary and non-Hermitian random matrices. Ensembles of this type emerge in various physical contexts, most importantly in random matrix description of quantum chaotic scattering as well as in the context of QCD-inspired random matrix models.Comment: Published version, with a few more misprints correcte

Efficient Multiband Algorithms for Blind Source Separation

The problem of blind separation refers to recovering original signals, called source signals, from the mixed signals, called observation signals, in a reverberant environment. The mixture is a function of a sequence of original speech signals mixed in a reverberant room. The objective is to separate mixed signals to obtain the original signals without degradation and without prior information of the features of the sources. The strategy used to achieve this objective is to use multiple bands that work at a lower rate, have less computational cost and a quicker convergence than the conventional scheme. Our motivation is the competitive results of unequal-passbands scheme applications, in terms of the convergence speed. The objective of this research is to improve unequal-passbands schemes by improving the speed of convergence and reducing the computational cost. The first proposed work is a novel maximally decimated unequal-passbands scheme.This scheme uses multiple bands that make it work at a reduced sampling rate, and low computational cost. An adaptation approach is derived with an adaptation step that improved the convergence speed. The performance of the proposed scheme was measured in different ways. First, the mean square errors of various bands are measured and the results are compared to a maximally decimated equal-passbands scheme, which is currently the best performing method. The results show that the proposed scheme has a faster convergence rate than the maximally decimated equal-passbands scheme. Second, when the scheme is tested for white and coloured inputs using a low number of bands, it does not yield good results; but when the number of bands is increased, the speed of convergence is enhanced. Third, the scheme is tested for quick changes. It is shown that the performance of the proposed scheme is similar to that of the equal-passbands scheme. Fourth, the scheme is also tested in a stationary state. The experimental results confirm the theoretical work. For more challenging scenarios, an unequal-passbands scheme with over-sampled decimation is proposed; the greater number of bands, the more efficient the separation. The results are compared to the currently best performing method. Second, an experimental comparison is made between the proposed multiband scheme and the conventional scheme. The results show that the convergence speed and the signal-to-interference ratio of the proposed scheme are higher than that of the conventional scheme, and the computation cost is lower than that of the conventional scheme

Measurement and entanglement phase transitions in all-to-all quantum circuits, on quantum trees, and in Landau-Ginsburg theory

A quantum many-body system whose dynamics includes local measurements at a nonzero rate can be in distinct dynamical phases, with differing entanglement properties. We introduce theoretical approaches to measurement-induced phase transitions (MPT) and also to entanglement transitions in random tensor networks. Many of our results are for "all-to-all" quantum circuits with unitaries and measurements, in which any qubit can couple to any other, and related settings where some of the complications of low-dimensional models are reduced. We also propose field theory descriptions for spatially local systems of any finite dimensionality. To build intuition, we first solve the simplest "minimal cut" toy model for entanglement dynamics in all-to-all circuits, finding scaling forms and exponents within this approximation. We then show that certain all-to-all measurement circuits allow exact results by exploiting local tree-like structure in the circuit geometry. For this reason, we make a detour to give general universal results for entanglement phase transitions random tree tensor networks, making a connection with classical directed polymers on a tree. We then compare these results with numerics in all-to-all circuits, both for the MPT and for the simpler "Forced Measurement Phase Transition" (FMPT). We characterize the two different phases in all-to-all circuits using observables sensitive to the amount of information propagated between initial and final time. We demonstrate signatures of the two phases that can be understood from simple models. Finally we propose Landau-Ginsburg-Wilson-like field theories for the MPT, the FMPT, and entanglement transitions in random tensor networks. This analysis shows a surprising difference between the MPT and the other cases. We discuss measurement dynamics with additional structure (e.g. free-fermion structure), and questions for the future.Comment: 67 pages, 41 figures; minor modifications to text and updated references; abstract shortened to meet arxiv requirements, see pdf for full abstrac

Transport in two-dimensional topological materials: recent developments in experiment and theory

We review theoretical and experimental highlights in transport in two-dimensional materials focussing on key developments over the last five years. Topological insulators are finding applications in magnetic devices, while Hall transport in doped samples and the general issue of topological protection remain controversial. In transition metal dichalcogenides valley-dependent electrical and optical phenomena continue to stimulate state-of-the-art experiments. In Weyl semimetals the properties of Fermi arcs are being actively investigated. A new field, expected to grow in the near future, focuses on the non-linear electrical and optical responses of topological materials, where fundamental questions are once more being asked about the intertwining roles of the Berry curvature and disorder scattering. In topological superconductors the quest for chiral superconductivity, Majorana fermions and topological quantum computing is continuing apace.Comment: Topical review commissioned by 2D Materials, 57 pages, 33 figures. Your suggestions and comments are welcom

Algorithmes pour la diagonalisation conjointe de tenseurs sans contrainte unitaire. Application à la séparation MIMO de sources de télécommunications numériques

This thesis develops joint diagonalization of matrices and third-order tensors methods for MIMO source separation in the field of digital telecommunications. After a state of the art, the motivations and the objectives are presented. Then the joint diagonalisation and the blind source separation issues are defined and a link between both fields is established. Thereafter, five Jacobi-like iterative algorithms based on an LU parameterization are developed. For each of them, we propose to derive the diagonalization matrix by optimizing an inverse criterion. Two ways are investigated : minimizing the criterion in a direct way or assuming that the elements from the considered set are almost diagonal. Regarding the parameters derivation, two strategies are implemented : one consists in estimating each parameter independently, the other consists in the independent derivation of couple of well-chosen parameters. Hence, we propose three algorithms for the joint diagonalization of symmetric complex matrices or hermitian ones. The first one relies on searching for the roots of the criterion derivative, the second one relies on a minor eigenvector research and the last one relies on a gradient descent method enhanced by computation of the optimal adaptation step. In the framework of joint diagonalization of symmetric, INDSCAL or non symmetric third-order tensors, we have developed two algorithms. For each of them, the parameters derivation is done by computing the roots of the considered criterion derivative. We also show the link between the joint diagonalization of a third-order tensor set and the canonical polyadic decomposition of a fourth-order tensor. We confront both methods through numerical simulations. The good behavior of the proposed algorithms is illustrated by means of computing simulations. Finally, they are applied to the source separation of digital telecommunication signals.Cette thèse développe des méthodes de diagonalisation conjointe de matrices et de tenseurs d’ordre trois, et son application à la séparation MIMO de sources de télécommunications numériques. Après un état, les motivations et objectifs de la thèse sont présentés. Les problèmes de la diagonalisation conjointe et de la séparation de sources sont définis et un lien entre ces deux domaines est établi. Par la suite, plusieurs algorithmes itératifs de type Jacobi reposant sur une paramétrisation LU sont développés. Pour chacun des algorithmes, on propose de déterminer les matrices permettant de diagonaliser l’ensemble considéré par l’optimisation d’un critère inverse. On envisage la minimisation du critère selon deux approches : la première, de manière directe, et la seconde, en supposant que les éléments de l’ensemble considéré sont quasiment diagonaux. En ce qui concerne l’estimation des différents paramètres du problème, deux stratégies sont mises en œuvre : l’une consistant à estimer tous les paramètres indépendamment et l’autre reposant sur l’estimation indépendante de couples de paramètres spécifiquement choisis. Ainsi, nous proposons trois algorithmes pour la diagonalisation conjointe de matrices complexes symétriques ou hermitiennes et deux algorithmes pour la diagonalisation conjointe d’ensembles de tenseurs symétriques ou non-symétriques ou admettant une décomposition INDSCAL. Nous montrons aussi le lien existant entre la diagonalisation conjointe de tenseurs d’ordre trois et la décomposition canonique polyadique d’un tenseur d’ordre quatre, puis nous comparons les algorithmes développés à différentes méthodes de la littérature. Le bon comportement des algorithmes proposés est illustré au moyen de simulations numériques. Puis, ils sont validés dans le cadre de la séparation de sources de télécommunications numériques

Constructing networks of quantum channels for state preparation

Entangled possibly mixed states are an essential resource for quantum computation, communication, metrology, and the simulation of many-body systems. It is important to develop and improve preparation protocols for such states. One possible way to prepare states of interest is to design an open system that evolves only towards the desired states. A Markovian evolution of a quantum system can be generally described by a Lindbladian. Tensor networks provide a framework to construct physically relevant entangled states. In particular, matrix product density operators (MPDOs) form an important variational class of states. MPDOs generalize matrix product states to mixed states, can represent thermal states of local one-dimensional Hamiltonians at sufficiently large temperatures, describe systems that satisfy the area law of entanglement, and form the basis of powerful numerical methods. In this work we develop an algorithm that determines for a given linear subspace of MPDOs whether this subspace can be the stable space of some frustration free k-local Lindbladian and, if so, outputs an appropriate Lindbladian. We proceed by using machine learning with networks of quantum channels, also known as quantum neural networks (QNNs), to train denoising post-processing devices for quantum sources. First, we show that QNNs can be trained on imperfect devices even when part of the training data is corrupted. Second, we show that QNNs can be trained to extrapolate quantum states to, e.g., lower temperatures. Third, we show how to denoise quantum states in an unsupervised manner. We develop a novel quantum autoencoder that successfully denoises Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger, W, Dicke, and cluster states subject to spin-flip, dephasing errors, and random unitary noise. Finally, we develop recurrent QNNs (RQNNs) for denoising that requires memory, such as combating drifts. RQNNs can be thought of as matrix product quantum channels with a quantum algorithm for training and are closely related to MPDOs. The proposed preparation and denoising protocols can be beneficial for various emergent quantum technologies and are within reach of present-day experiments