Challenges Implementing non-Abelian SU(2) Quantum Chromodynamics Gauge Links On a Universal Quantum Computer

Abstract

The traditional approach for studying the physics of the strong interactions employs a basic computational construct originally proposed by Wilson in the 1970s. Over the years additional enhancements have been added to this formulation to improve computational performance and accuracy. This formulation has been successfully implemented on high performance computing systems and has yielded accurate calculations for many static properties of the strong interactions (such as the hadron mass spectrum). With the recent advances in quantum computing, the question that is now being asked is whether an equivalent type of gauge invariant formulation of a field theory can be constructed on a quantum computer to calculate dynamical processes that cannot be simulated on a traditional supercomputer. Using the Quantum Link Model (QLM) plus the concept of rishons, this paper will specifically focus on the challenges implementing a basic gauge link lattice construct using SU(2) non-Abelian links for illustration. The paper will also discuss the physics that may potentially be simulated on a quantum computer with this construct and speculate on the prospects for having quantum computers become a part of the set of hardware platforms for lattice gauge theory simulations in the future.