Digital Quantum Simulation of the Schwinger model with Topological term

Huai-Chun Chang, Hsiu-Chuan Hsu

Alex Shaw, Natalie Klco, Pavel Lougovski +2 more

Bipasha Chakraborty, Masazumi Honda, Taku Izubuchi +2 more

We perform a digital quantum simulation of a gauge theory with a topological term in Minkowski spacetime, which is practically inaccessible by standard lattice Monte Carlo simulations. We focus on $1+1$ dimensional quantum electrodynamics with the $\theta$-term known as the Schwinger model. We construct the true vacuum state of a lattice Schwinger model using adiabatic state preparation which, in turn, allows us to compute an expectation value of the fermion mass operator with respect to the vacuum. Upon taking a continuum limit we find that our result in massless case agrees with the known exact result. In massive case, we find an agreement with mass perturbation theory in small mass regime and deviations in large mass regime. We estimate computational costs required to take a reasonable continuum limit. Our results imply that digital quantum simulation is already useful tool to explore non-perturbative aspects of gauge theories with real time and topological terms.

Bipasha Chakraborty, Masazumi Honda, Taku Izubuchi +2 more

We perform a digital quantum simulation of a gauge theory with a topological term in Minkowski spacetime, which is practically inaccessible by standard lattice Monte Carlo simulations. We focus on $1+1$ dimensional quantum electrodynamics with the $θ$-term known as the Schwinger model. We construct the true vacuum state of a lattice Schwinger model using adiabatic state preparation which, in turn, allows us to compute an expectation value of the fermion mass operator with respect to the vacuum. Upon taking a continuum limit we find that our result in massless case agrees with the known exact result. In massive case, we find an agreement with mass perturbation theory in small mass regime and deviations in large mass regime. We estimate computational costs required to take a reasonable continuum limit. Our results imply that digital quantum simulation is already useful tool to explore non-perturbative aspects of gauge theories with real time and topological terms.

Matthias Troyer

Masazumi Honda, Etsuko Itou, Yuta Kikuchi +2 more

We perform digital quantum simulation, using a classical simulator, to study screening and confinement in a gauge theory with a topological term, focusing on ($1+1$)-dimensional quantum electrodynamics (Schwinger model) with a theta term. We compute the ground state energy in the presence of probe charges to estimate the potential between them, via adiabatic state preparation. We compare our simulation results and analytical predictions for a finite volume, finding good agreements. In particular our result in the massive case shows a linear behavior for noninteger charges and a nonlinear behavior for integer charges, consistently with the expected confinement (screening) behavior for noninteger (integer) charges.