近日，意大利特伦托大学的Philipp Hauke&Julius Mildenberger及其研究团队取得一项新进展。经过不懈努力，他们对量子计算机上Z2晶格规范理论中的约束进行研究。相关研究成果已于2025年1月13日在国际知名学术期刊《自然—物理学》上发表。
该研究团队在超导量子处理器上模拟了Z2晶格规范理论中的囚禁动力学。通过调整一个仅与电场耦合的项，研究人员实现了电荷的囚禁，这体现了规范约束在两者之间产生的紧密联系。此外，研究人员还展示了如何将规范约束从Z2修改为U(1)对称性，从而冻结系统动力学。
这项研究工作揭示了底层规范约束对晶格规范理论动力学所施加的限制，展示了如何修改和保护规范约束，并促进了对其他由多体相互作用支配的模型的研究。
据悉，规范理论描述了粒子物理学标准模型中的基本力，并在凝聚态物理学中发挥着重要作用。规范理论的组成部分，例如带电物质和电场规范场，受局部规范约束的支配，这些约束导致了诸如粒子囚禁等关键现象，而这些现象尚未完全理解。在此背景下，量子模拟器可以解决经典方法难以解决的问题。尽管构建规范约束极具挑战性，但量子计算的最新进展正开始使规范理论的数字量子模拟成为可能。
附：英文原文
Title: Confinement in a Z2 lattice gauge theory on a quantum computer
Author: Mildenberger, Julius, Mruczkiewicz, Wojciech, Halimeh, Jad C., Jiang, Zhang, Hauke, Philipp
Issue&Volume: 2025-01-13
Abstract: Gauge theories describe the fundamental forces in the standard model of particle physics and play an important role in condensed-matter physics. The constituents of gauge theories, for example, charged matter and electric gauge field, are governed by local gauge constraints, which lead to key phenomena such as the confinement of particles that are not fully understood. In this context, quantum simulators may address questions that are challenging for classical methods. Although engineering gauge constraints is highly demanding, recent advances in quantum computing are beginning to enable digital quantum simulations of gauge theories. Here we simulate confinement dynamics in a Z2 lattice gauge theory on a superconducting quantum processor. Tuning a term that couples only to the electric field produces confinement of charges, a manifestation of the tight bond that the gauge constraint generates between both. Moreover, we show how a modification of the gauge constraint from Z2 towards U(1) symmetry freezes the system dynamics. Our work illustrates the restriction that the underlying gauge constraint imposes on the dynamics of a lattice gauge theory, showcases how gauge constraints can be modified and protected, and promotes the study of other models governed by multibody interactions.
DOI: 10.1038/s41567-024-02723-6
Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41567-024-02723-6