Search for: All records

Mapping fermionic operators to qubit operators is an essential step for simulating fermionic systems on a quantum computer. We investigate how the choice of such a mapping interacts with the underlying qubit connectivity of the quantum processor to enable (or impede) parallelization of the resulting Hamiltonian-simulation algorithm. It is shown that this problem can be mapped to a path coloring problem on a graph constructed from the particular choice of encoding fermions onto qubits and the fermionic interactions onto paths. The basic version of this problem is called the weak coloring problem. Taking into account the fine-grained details of the mapping yields what is called the strong coloring problem, which leads to improved parallelization performance. A variety of illustrative analytical and numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the amount of improvement for both weak and strong coloring-based parallelizations. Our results are particularly important for implementation on near-term quantum processors where minimizing circuit depth is necessary for algorithmic feasibility. 

Key static and dynamic properties of matter — from creation in the Big Bang to evolution into subatomic and astrophysical environments — arise from the underlying fundamental quantum fields of the standard model and their effective descriptions. However, the simulation of these properties lies beyond the capabilities of classical computation alone. Advances in quantum technologies have improved control over quantum entanglement and coherence to the point at which robust simulations of quantum fields are anticipated in the foreseeable future. In this Perspective article, we discuss the emerging area of quantum simulations of standard-model physics, outlining the challenges and opportunities for progress in the context of nuclear and high-energy physics. 

Abstract Trapped-ion quantum simulators, in analog and digital modes, are considered a primary candidate to achieve quantum advantage in quantum simulation and quantum computation. The underlying controlled ion–laser interactions induce all-to-all two-spin interactions via the collective modes of motion through Cirac–Zoller or Mølmer–Sørensen schemes, leading to effective two-spin Hamiltonians, as well as two-qubit entangling gates. In this work, the Mølmer–Sørensen scheme is extended to induce three-spin interactions via tailored first- and second-order spin–motion couplings. The scheme enables engineering single-, two-, and three-spin interactions, and can be tuned via an enhanced protocol to simulate purely three-spin dynamics. Analytical results for the effective evolution are presented, along with detailed numerical simulations of the full dynamics to support the accuracy and feasibility of the proposed scheme for near-term applications. With a focus on quantum simulation, the advantage of a direct analog implementation of three-spin dynamics is demonstrated via the example of matter-gauge interactions in the U(1) lattice gauge theory within the quantum link model. The mapping of degrees of freedom and strategies for scaling the three-spin scheme to larger systems, are detailed, along with a discussion of the expected outcome of the simulation of the quantum link model given realistic fidelities in the upcoming experiments. The applications of the three-spin scheme go beyond the lattice gauge theory example studied here and include studies of static and dynamical phase diagrams of strongly interacting condensed-matter systems modeled by two- and three-spin Hamiltonians.