June 12, 2024 | Roland C. Farrell, Marc Illa, Anthony N. Ciavarella, Martin J. Savage
The paper presents a quantum simulation of hadron dynamics in the Schwinger model using 112 qubits on IBM's 133-qubit Heron quantum computer. The authors use the SC-ADAPT-VQE algorithm to prepare the vacuum and a localized hadron wavepacket on a lattice. The wavepacket is constructed by adaptively building low-depth circuits that maximize the overlap with an adiabatically prepared hadron state. Time evolution is implemented using a second-order Trotterization, and an approximate quasi-local interaction is introduced to reduce qubit connectivity and circuit depth. Error mitigation techniques are applied to perform up to 14 Trotter steps, resulting in clear signatures of hadron propagation. The results are compared with classical Matrix Product State simulations, and the potential for near-term quantum advantage in hadron scattering simulations is discussed. The paper also details the systematic truncation of electric interactions and the construction of effective Hamiltonians to reduce the complexity of the simulations.The paper presents a quantum simulation of hadron dynamics in the Schwinger model using 112 qubits on IBM's 133-qubit Heron quantum computer. The authors use the SC-ADAPT-VQE algorithm to prepare the vacuum and a localized hadron wavepacket on a lattice. The wavepacket is constructed by adaptively building low-depth circuits that maximize the overlap with an adiabatically prepared hadron state. Time evolution is implemented using a second-order Trotterization, and an approximate quasi-local interaction is introduced to reduce qubit connectivity and circuit depth. Error mitigation techniques are applied to perform up to 14 Trotter steps, resulting in clear signatures of hadron propagation. The results are compared with classical Matrix Product State simulations, and the potential for near-term quantum advantage in hadron scattering simulations is discussed. The paper also details the systematic truncation of electric interactions and the construction of effective Hamiltonians to reduce the complexity of the simulations.