Minimal quantum walk simulation of Dirac fermions in curved space-times

Abstract

The problem of simulating through quantum walks Dirac fermions in arbitrary curved space-times and coordinates is revisited, taking (1 + 1)D space-times as an example. A new shift or translation operator on the grid is introduced, to take into account arbitrary geometries. The new, generalised quantum walks built with this operator can simulate Dirac fermions in arbitrary curved space-times and coordinates, and their wave functions have exactly the same number of components as standard Dirac spinors, and not twice that number, as previously believed. In particular, in $(1 + 1)$D space-times, only one qubit is needed at each lattice point, which makes it easier to perform quantum simulations of the Dirac dynamics on current NISQs quantum devices. Numerical simulations of the Dirac dynamics in the post Newtonian, so-called Gravitoelectromagnetism regime are presented as an illustration.