Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:2002.04016 · Physical Review A

Quantum simulation of quantum field theory in the light-front formulation

Michael Kreshchuk, William M. Kirby, Gary R. Goldstein, P. H. Beauchemin, Peter J. Love

Published Mar 8, 2022• 98 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Quantum chromodynamics (QCD) describes the structure of hadrons such as the proton at a fundamental level. The precision of calculations in QCD limits the precision of the values of many physical parameters extracted from collider data. For example, uncertainty in the parton distribution function is the dominant source of error in the $W$ mass measurement at the Large Hadron Collider. Improving the precision of such measurements is essential in the search for new physics. Quantum simulation offers an efficient way of studying quantum field theories (QFTs) such as QCD nonperturbatively. Previous quantum algorithms for simulating QFTs have qubit requirements that are well beyond the most ambitious experimental proposals for large-scale quantum computers. Can the qubit requirements for such algorithms be brought into range of quantum computation with several thousand logical qubits? We show how this can be achieved by using the light-front formulation of quantum field theory. This work was inspired by the similarity of the light-front formulation to quantum chemistry, first noted by Wilson [Nucl. Phys. B, Proc. Suppl. 17, 82 (1990)].

DOI
10.1103/physreva.105.032418

Related papers

Generalized Parton Distribution Functions via Quantum Simulation of Quantum Field Theory in Light-front Coordinates

Carter M. Gustin, Gary R. Goldstein

Quantum simulation of quantum field theories offers a new way to investigate properties of the fundamental constituents of matter. We develop quantum simulation algorithms based on the light-front formulation of relativistic field theories. The process of quantizing the system in light-cone coordinates will be explained for a Hamiltonian formulation, which becomes block diagonal, each block approximating the Fock space with a certain harmonic resolution K. We analyze a QCD theory in 2+1D. We compute the analogue of parton distribution functions, the generalized parton distribution functions for mesonic composite particles, like hadrons, in these theories. The dependence of such analyses on the scaling of the number of qubits is compared with other schemes and conventional computations. There is a notable advantage to the light-front formulation.

arXiv:2211.07826•Nov 15, 2022•0 citations

Simulating hadronic physics on noisy intermediate-scale quantum devices using basis light-front quantization

Michael Kreshchuk, Shaoyang Jia, William M. Kirby +3 more

The analogy between quantum chemistry and light-front quantum field theory, first noted by Wilson, serves as motivation to develop light-front quantum simulation of quantum field theory. We demonstrate how calculations of hadron structure can be performed on noisy intermediate-scale quantum devices within the basis light-front quantization (BLFQ) framework. Within BLFQ, relativistic quantum field theories take a form that permits direct application of methods for digital quantum simulation of quantum chemistry, which can be readily scaled into the quantum advantage regime. We calculate the light-front wave functions of pions using an effective light-front Hamiltonian in a basis representation on a current quantum processor. We use the variational quantum eigensolver to find the ground-state energy and the corresponding wave function, which is subsequently used to calculate pion mass radius, decay constant, elastic form factor, and charge radius.

arXiv:2011.13443•Physical Review A•Jun 3, 2021•51 citations

Quantum algorithms for the simulation of QCD processes in the perturbative regime

Herschel A. Chawdhry, Mathieu Pellen

Theoretical predictions for high-energy collision processes at particle colliders, such as the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), rely on calculations in perturbative Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD), which are often computationally challenging. In these conference proceedings, we explore the possibility of using quantum computers to simulate QCD processes in the perturbative QCD regime. In particular, as a first step towards that goal, we present quantum circuits to simulate the colour part of perturbative QCD. The circuits are validated by implementing them on a simulated quantum computer and verifying the colour factors for several example Feynman diagrams.

arXiv:2412.21177•Dec 30, 2024•0 citations

Quantum simulation of light-front parton correlators

Miguel G. Echevarría, I. L. Egusquiza, E. Rico +1 more

The physics of high-energy colliders relies on the knowledge of different nonperturbative parton correlators, such as parton distribution functions, that encode the information on universal hadron structure and are thus the main building blocks of any factorization theorem of the underlying process in such collision. These functions are given in terms of gauge-invariant light-front operators, that are nonlocal in both space and real time, and thus intractable by standard lattice techniques due to the well-known sign problem. In this paper, we propose a quantum algorithm to perform a quantum simulation of these type of correlators, and illustrate it by considering a space-time Wilson loop. We discuss the implementation of the quantum algorithm in terms of quantum gates that are accessible within actual quantum technologies such as cold atoms setups, trapped ions or superconducting circuits.

arXiv:2011.01275•Physical review. D/Physical review. D.•Jul 30, 2021•37 citations

Solving hadron structures using the basis light-front quantization approach on quantum computers

Wenyang Qian, Robert Basili, Soham Pal +2 more

Quantum computing has demonstrated the potential to revolutionize our understanding of nuclear, atomic, and molecular structure by obtaining forefront solutions in nonrelativistic quantum many-body theory. In this work, we show that quantum computing can be used to solve for the structure of hadrons, governed by strongly interacting relativistic quantum field theory. Following our previous work on light unflavored mesons as a relativistic bound-state problem within the nonperturbative Hamiltonian formalism, we present the numerical calculations on simulated quantum devices using the basis light-front quantization approach. We implement and compare the variational quantum eigensolver and the subspace-search variational quantum eigensolver to find the low-lying mass spectrum of the light meson system and its corresponding light-front wave functions as quantum states from ideal simulators, noisy simulators, and IBM quantum computers. Based on obtained quantum states, we evaluate the meson decay constants and parton distribution functions directly on the quantum circuits. Our calculations on the quantum computers and simulators are in reasonable agreement with accurate numerical solutions solved on classical computers when noises are moderately small, and our overall results are comparable with the available experimental data.

arXiv:2112.01927•Physical Review Research•Dec 15, 2022•39 citations

Digital Quantum Simulation of Dynamics in Interacting Fields

Zhiyao Li

Matter under extreme conditions behaves as a non-equilibrium, strongly-interacting quantum system. Such systems are in the non-perturbative regime of quantum chromodynamics (QCD), where their time evolution is classically intractable. Quantum computing offers a promising alternative, but present-day devices are limited in qubit count and circuit depth, so efficient formulations and algorithms are key to scaling toward experimentally relevant QCD simulations. A scalable framework is established for simulating energy loss and hadronization in 1+1-dimensional SU(2) lattice gauge theory, in which a heavy quark traverses a lattice of light quarks. Classical lattice QCD methods are translated into physics-informed circuits to prepare the interacting ground state. The evolution is run on IBM's quantum processor ibm_pittsburgh, where the charge distribution and energy loss are measured. A further study develops the quantum simulation of the fully gauge-fixed SU(2) Hamiltonian in a mixed basis, a formulation that is expected to remain efficient at all gauge couplings. Digitizing the continuous gauge fields with as few as three qubits per plaquette reproduces low-energy observables with $10^{-3}$ precision. Scaling to larger systems is limited by resource overhead, which motivates truncations that preserve the relevant observables. Sequency Hierarchy Truncation (SeqHT) exploits the hierarchy in basis-operator contributions. Demonstrated on the adiabatic preparation of the $λφ^4$ ground state on ibm_sherbrooke, SeqHT reduces circuit depth by ~30%, suppressing hardware noise in the extracted observables. All simulations in this dissertation are validated on quantum hardware against classical benchmarks. These studies advance quantum simulations of real-time QCD dynamics.

quant-pharXiv:2610.28993•Oct 22, 2026•0 citations
Quantum chromodynamics (QCD) describes the structure of hadrons such as the proton at a fundamental level. The precision of calculations in QCD limits the precision of the values of many physical parameters extracted from collider data. For example, uncertainty in the parton distribution function is the dominant source of error in the WWW mass measurement at the Large Hadron Collider. Improving the precision of such measurements is essential in the search for new physics. Quantum simulation offers an efficient way of studying quantum field theories (QFTs) such as QCD nonperturbatively. Previous quantum algorithms for simulating QFTs have qubit requirements that are well beyond the most ambitious experimental proposals for large-scale quantum computers. Can the qubit requirements for such algorithms be brought into range of quantum computation with several thousand logical qubits? We show how this can be achieved by using the light-front formulation of quantum field theory. This work was inspired by the similarity of the light-front formulation to quantum chemistry, first noted by Wilson [Nucl. Phys. B, Proc. Suppl. 17, 82 (1990)].
Quantum simulation of quantum field theories offers a new way to investigate properties of the fundamental constituents of matter. We develop quantum simulation algorithms based on the light-front formulation of relativistic field theories. The process of quantizing the system in light-cone coordinates will be explained for a Hamiltonian formulation, which becomes block diagonal, each block approximating the Fock space with a certain harmonic resolution K. We analyze a QCD theory in 2+1D. We compute the analogue of parton distribution functions, the generalized parton distribution functions for mesonic composite particles, like hadrons, in these theories. The dependence of such analyses on the scaling of the number of qubits is compared with other schemes and conventional computations. There is a notable advantage to the light-front formulation.
The analogy between quantum chemistry and light-front quantum field theory, first noted by Wilson, serves as motivation to develop light-front quantum simulation of quantum field theory. We demonstrate how calculations of hadron structure can be performed on noisy intermediate-scale quantum devices within the basis light-front quantization (BLFQ) framework. Within BLFQ, relativistic quantum field theories take a form that permits direct application of methods for digital quantum simulation of quantum chemistry, which can be readily scaled into the quantum advantage regime. We calculate the light-front wave functions of pions using an effective light-front Hamiltonian in a basis representation on a current quantum processor. We use the variational quantum eigensolver to find the ground-state energy and the corresponding wave function, which is subsequently used to calculate pion mass radius, decay constant, elastic form factor, and charge radius.
Theoretical predictions for high-energy collision processes at particle colliders, such as the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), rely on calculations in perturbative Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD), which are often computationally challenging. In these conference proceedings, we explore the possibility of using quantum computers to simulate QCD processes in the perturbative QCD regime. In particular, as a first step towards that goal, we present quantum circuits to simulate the colour part of perturbative QCD. The circuits are validated by implementing them on a simulated quantum computer and verifying the colour factors for several example Feynman diagrams.
The physics of high-energy colliders relies on the knowledge of different nonperturbative parton correlators, such as parton distribution functions, that encode the information on universal hadron structure and are thus the main building blocks of any factorization theorem of the underlying process in such collision. These functions are given in terms of gauge-invariant light-front operators, that are nonlocal in both space and real time, and thus intractable by standard lattice techniques due to the well-known sign problem. In this paper, we propose a quantum algorithm to perform a quantum simulation of these type of correlators, and illustrate it by considering a space-time Wilson loop. We discuss the implementation of the quantum algorithm in terms of quantum gates that are accessible within actual quantum technologies such as cold atoms setups, trapped ions or superconducting circuits.
Quantum computing has demonstrated the potential to revolutionize our understanding of nuclear, atomic, and molecular structure by obtaining forefront solutions in nonrelativistic quantum many-body theory. In this work, we show that quantum computing can be used to solve for the structure of hadrons, governed by strongly interacting relativistic quantum field theory. Following our previous work on light unflavored mesons as a relativistic bound-state problem within the nonperturbative Hamiltonian formalism, we present the numerical calculations on simulated quantum devices using the basis light-front quantization approach. We implement and compare the variational quantum eigensolver and the subspace-search variational quantum eigensolver to find the low-lying mass spectrum of the light meson system and its corresponding light-front wave functions as quantum states from ideal simulators, noisy simulators, and IBM quantum computers. Based on obtained quantum states, we evaluate the meson decay constants and parton distribution functions directly on the quantum circuits. Our calculations on the quantum computers and simulators are in reasonable agreement with accurate numerical solutions solved on classical computers when noises are moderately small, and our overall results are comparable with the available experimental data.
Matter under extreme conditions behaves as a non-equilibrium, strongly-interacting quantum system. Such systems are in the non-perturbative regime of quantum chromodynamics (QCD), where their time evolution is classically intractable. Quantum computing offers a promising alternative, but present-day devices are limited in qubit count and circuit depth, so efficient formulations and algorithms are key to scaling toward experimentally relevant QCD simulations. A scalable framework is established for simulating energy loss and hadronization in 1+1-dimensional SU(2) lattice gauge theory, in which a heavy quark traverses a lattice of light quarks. Classical lattice QCD methods are translated into physics-informed circuits to prepare the interacting ground state. The evolution is run on IBM's quantum processor ibm_pittsburgh, where the charge distribution and energy loss are measured. A further study develops the quantum simulation of the fully gauge-fixed SU(2) Hamiltonian in a mixed basis, a formulation that is expected to remain efficient at all gauge couplings. Digitizing the continuous gauge fields with as few as three qubits per plaquette reproduces low-energy observables with 10−310^{-3}10−3 precision. Scaling to larger systems is limited by resource overhead, which motivates truncations that preserve the relevant observables. Sequency Hierarchy Truncation (SeqHT) exploits the hierarchy in basis-operator contributions. Demonstrated on the adiabatic preparation of the λφ4λφ^4λφ4 ground state on ibm_sherbrooke, SeqHT reduces circuit depth by ~30%, suppressing hardware noise in the extracted observables. All simulations in this dissertation are validated on quantum hardware against classical benchmarks. These studies advance quantum simulations of real-time QCD dynamics.