Quantum Computing Calculations for Nuclear Structure and Nuclear Data

Abstract

Model calculations of nuclear properties are peformed using quantum computing algorithms on simulated and real quantum computers. The models are a realistic calculation of deuteron binding based on effective field theory, and a simplified two-level version of the nuclear shell model known as the Lipkin-Meshkov-Glick model. A method of reducing the number of qubits needed for practical calculation is presented, the reduction being with respect to the number needed when the standard Jordan-Wigner encoding is used. Its efficacy is shown in the case of the deuteron binding and shell model. A version of the variational quantum eigensolver in which all eigenstates in a spectrum are targetted on an equal basis is shown. The method involves finding the minima of the variance of the Hamiltonian. The method's ability to find the full spectrum of the simplified shell model is presented.