Simulating 2D Effects in Lattice Gauge Theories on a Quantum Computer

Abstract

Quantum computing is in its greatest upswing, with so-called noisy-intermediate-scale-quantum devices heralding the computational power to be expected in the near future. While the field is progressing toward quantum advantage, quantum computers already have the potential to tackle classically intractable problems. Here, we consider gauge theories describing fundamental-particle interactions. On the way to their full-fledged quantum simulations, the challenge of limited resources on near-term quantum devices has to be overcome. We propose an experimental quantum simulation scheme to study ground-state properties in two-dimensional quantum electrodynamics (2D QED) using existing quantum technology. Our protocols can be adapted to larger lattices and offer the perspective to connect the lattice simulation to low-energy observable quantities, e.g., the hadron spectrum, in the continuum theory. By including both dynamical matter and a nonminimal gauge-field truncation, we provide the novel opportunity to observe 2D effects on present-day quantum hardware. More specifically, we present two variational-quantum-eigensolver- (VQE) based protocols for the study of magnetic field effects and for taking an important first step toward computing the running coupling of QED. For both instances, we include variational quantum circuits for qubit-based hardware. We simulate the proposed VQE experiments classically to calculate the required measurement budget under realistic conditions. While this feasibility analysis is done for trapped ions, our approach can be directly adapted to other platforms. The techniques presented here, combined with advancements in quantum hardware, pave the way for reaching beyond the capabilities of classical simulations.