The Analogy between Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Qubits in Quantum Computing
Abstract
The equations of motion for a spin magnetic dipole in nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and a qubit’s Bloch-sphere state vector in quantum computing (QC) share the same mathematical form. Semi-classical solutions in both fields show strong behavioral similarities: in MRI, the elevation and azimuthal angles describe the physical orientation of the spin, while in QC, they are purely mathematical parameters—yet both follow the same equations. This paper introduces qubit behavior, excitation, and readout from an electrical engineering perspective, requiring little or no prior knowledge of quantum theory. It also highlights how decades of MRI expertise in spin control can inform qubit manipulation in quantum gates, especially when gate times approach coherence limits. Under such conditions, additional control pulses may be needed to refocus dephasing while maintaining the desired unitary operation—a challenge directly analogous to the inhomogeneous-dephasing refocusing routinely performed in MRI.
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