Quantum cellular automata without particles

Abstract

Quantum cellular automata (QCA) constitute space and time homogeneous discrete models for quantum field theories (QFTs). Although QFTs are defined without reference to particles, computations are done in terms of Feynman diagrams, which are explicitly interpreted in terms of interacting particles. Similarly, the easiest QCA to construct are quantum lattice gas automata (QLGA). A natural question then is, which QCA are not QLGA? Here we construct a non-trivial example of such a QCA; it provides a simple model in $1+1$ dimensions with no particle interpretation at the scale where the QCA dynamics are homogeneous.