Quantum computing based high-energy nuclear physics

Abstract

High-energy nuclear physics aims to explore and understand the physics of matter composed of quarks and gluons. However, it is intrinsically difficult to simulate high-energy nuclear physics from the first principle based quantum chromodynamics by using classical computers. In recent years, quantum computing has received intensive attention because it is expected to provide an ultimate solution for simulating high-energy nuclear physics. In this paper, we firstly review recent advances in quantum simulation of high-energy nuclear physics. Then we introduce some standard quantum algorithms, such as state preparation and measurements of light-cone correlation function. Finally, we demonstrate the advantage of quantum computing for solving the real-time evolution and the sign problems by studying hadronic scattering amplitude and phase structure of finite-temperature and finite-density matter, respectively.