2020/10/23 by George Vahala, Linda Vahala, Vahala, George +5
Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #FOS: Physical sciences #Optical Network Technologies #Plasma Physics (physics.plasm-ph) #Quantum Physics (quant-ph) #Quantum and electron transport phenomena #Quantum optics and atomic interactions
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2010.12264
openalex publication_date 2020/10/23 · openalex created_date 2020/10/29 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
A quantum lattice algorithm (QLA) is developed for the solution of Maxwell equations in scalar dielectric media using the Riemann-Silberstein representation. For x-dependent and y-dependent inhomogeneities, the corresponding QLA requries 8 qubits/spatial lattice site. This is because the corresponding Pauli spin matrices have off-diagonal components which permit the collisional entanglement of two qubits. However, z-dependent inhomogeneities require a QLA with 16 qubits/lattice site since the Pauli spin matrix σz is diagonal. QLA simulations are performed for the time evolution of an initial electromagnetic pulse propagating normally to a boundary layer region joining two media of different refractive index. There is excellent agreement between all three representations, as well as very good agreement with nearly all the standard plane wave boundary condition results for reflection and transmission off a dielectric discontinuity. In the QLA simulation, no boundary conditions are imposed at the continuous, but sharply increasing, boundary layer.