2022/05/21 by Fabian Langkabel, Langkabel, Fabian, Annika Bande +1
Computer Science · Physics and Astronomy · #FOS: Physical sciences #Laser-Matter Interactions and Applications #Quantum Information and Cryptography #Quantum Physics (quant-ph) #Spectroscopy and Quantum Chemical Studies
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2205.10543
openalex publication_date 2022/05/21 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
In this work, we investigate the capability of known quantum-computing algorithms for fault-tolerant quantum computing to simulate the laser-driven electron dynamics in small molecules such as lithium hydride. These computations are executed on a quantum-computer simulator. Results are compared with the time-dependent full configuration interaction method (TD-FCI). The actual wave packet propagation is closely reproduced using the Jordan-Wigner transformation and the Trotter product formula. In addition, the time-dependent dipole moment, as an example of a time-dependent expectation value, is calculated using the Hadamard test. In order to include non-Hermitian operators in the dynamics, a similar approach to the quantum imaginary time evolution (QITE) algorithm is employed to translate the propagator into quantum gates. Thus, ionization of a hydrogen molecule under the influence of a complex absorbing potential can be simulated accurately. All quantum computer algorithms used scale polynomially rather than exponentially as TD-FCI and therefore hold promise for substantial progress in the understanding of electron dynamics of increasingly large molecular systems in the future.