Andrea Triossi

Lorenzo Borella, Alberto Coppi, Jacopo Pazzini et al.

Tensor Networks (TNs) are a computational paradigm used for representing quantum many-body systems. Recent works have shown how TNs can also be applied to perform Machine Learning (ML) tasks, yielding comparable results to standard supervised learning techniques. In this work, we study the use of Tree Tensor Networks (TTNs) in high-frequency real-time applications by exploiting the low-latency hardware of the Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) technology. We present different implementations of TTN classifiers, capable of performing inference on classical ML datasets as well as on complex physics data. A preparatory analysis of bond dimensions and weight quantization is realized in the training phase, together with entanglement entropy and correlation measurements, that help setting the choice of the TTN architecture. The generated TTNs are then deployed on a hardware accelerator; using an FPGA integrated into a server, the inference of the TTN is completely offloaded. Eventually, a classifier for High Energy Physics (HEP) applications is implemented and executed fully pipelined with sub-microsecond latency.

A. Gavrikov, V. Cerrone, A. Serafini et al.

Several neutrino detectors, KamLAND, Daya Bay, Double Chooz, RENO, and the forthcoming large-scale JUNO, rely on liquid scintillator to detect reactor antineutrino interactions. In this context, inverse beta decay represents the golden channel for antineutrino detection, providing a pair of correlated events, thus a strong experimental signature to distinguish the signal from a variety of backgrounds. However, given the low cross-section of antineutrino interactions, the development of a powerful event selection algorithm becomes imperative to achieve effective discrimination between signal and backgrounds. In this study, we introduce a machine learning (ML) model to achieve this goal: a fully connected neural network as a powerful signal-background discriminator for a large liquid scintillator detector. We demonstrate, using the JUNO detector as an example, that, despite the already high efficiency of a cut-based approach, the presented ML model can further improve the overall event selection efficiency. Moreover, it allows for the retention of signal events at the detector edges that would otherwise be rejected because of the overwhelming amount of background events in that region. We also present the first interpretable analysis of the ML approach for event selection in reactor neutrino experiments. This method provides insights into the decision-making process of the model and offers valuable information for improving and updating traditional event selection approaches.