Free Fermionic Quantum Field Theory

Pierre Ramond

Ali Hamed Moosavian, Stephen P. Jordan

In quantum algorithms discovered so far for simulating scattering processes in quantum field theories, state preparation is the slowest step. We present an algorithm for preparing particle states to use in simulation of fermionic quantum field theory (QFT) on a quantum computer, which is based on the matrix product state ansatz. We apply this to the massive Gross-Neveu model in one spatial dimension to illustrate the algorithm, but we believe the same algorithm with slight modifications can be used to simulate any one-dimensional massive fermionic QFT. In the case where the number of particle species is 1, our algorithm can prepare particle states using $O\left({\ensuremath{\epsilon}}^{\ensuremath{-}3.23...}\right)$ gates, which is much faster than previous known results, namely, $O\left({\ensuremath{\epsilon}}^{\ensuremath{-}8\ensuremath{-}o\left(1\right)}\right)$. Furthermore, unlike previous methods which were based on adiabatic state preparation, the method given here should be able to simulate quantum phases unconnected to the free theory.

L. Dolan

Adam G. M. Lewis, Guifré Vidal

We numerically compute renormalized expectation values of quadratic operators in a quantum field theory (QFT) of free Dirac fermions in curved two-dimensional (Lorentzian) spacetime. First, we use a staggered-fermion discretization to generate a sequence of lattice theories yielding the desired QFT in the continuum limit. Numerically-computed lattice correlators are then used to approximate, through extrapolation, those in the continuum. Finally, we use so-called point-splitting regularization and Hadamard renormalization to remove divergences, and thus obtain finite, renormalized expectation values of quadratic operators in the continuum. As illustrative applications, we show how to recover the Unruh effect in flat spacetime and how to compute renormalized expectation values in the Hawking-Hartle vacuum of a Schwarzschild black hole and in the Bunch-Davies vacuum of an expanding universe described by de Sitter spacetime. Although here we address a non-interacting QFT using free fermion techniques, the framework described in this paper lays the groundwork for a series of subsequent studies involving simulation of interacting QFTs in curved spacetime by tensor network techniques.

Wolfgang Bulla, K. Unterkofler

Jutho Haegeman, J. I. Cirac, Tobias J. Osborne +2 more

We extend the recently introduced continuous matrix product state variational class to the setting of (1+1)-dimensional relativistic quantum field theories. This allows one to overcome the difficulties highlighted by Feynman concerning the application of the variational procedure to relativistic theories, and provides a new way to regularize quantum field theories. A fermionic version of the continuous matrix product state is introduced which is manifestly free of fermion doubling and sign problems. We illustrate the power of the formalism by studying the momentum occupation for free massive Dirac fermions and the chiral symmetry breaking in the Gross-Neveu model.