Digital quantum simulation of cavity quantum electrodynamics: insights from superconducting and trapped ion quantum testbeds

We explore the potential for hybrid development of quantum hardware where currently available quantum computers simulate open cavity quantum electrodynamical (CQED) systems for applications in optical quantum communication, simulation and computing. Our simulations make use of a recent quantum algorithm that maps the dynamics of a singly excited open Tavis–Cummings model containing N atoms coupled to a lossy cavity. We report the results of executing this algorithm on two noisy intermediate-scale quantum computers: a superconducting processor and a trapped ion processor, to simulate the population dynamics of an open CQED system featuring N = 3 atoms. By applying technology-specific transpilation and error mitigation techniques, we minimize the impact of gate errors, noise, and decoherence in each hardware platform, obtaining results which agree closely with the exact solution of the system. These results can be used as a recipe for efficient and platform-specific quantum simulation of cavity–emitter systems on contemporary and future quantum computers.. Authors: Rubin, Alex H. [University of California, Davis, CA (United States)] (ORCID:0009000828296057); Marinelli, Brian [University of California, Berkeley, CA (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000154210829); Norman, Victoria A. [University of California, Davis, CA (United States)] (ORCID:000000027093607X); Rizvi, Zainab [University of California, Davis, CA (United States)] (ORCID:0009000310354195); Burch, Ashlyn Damaris [Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)] (ORCID:0000000341524284). DOE Contract: AC02-05CH11231; NA0003525. Subjects: cavity QED; error mitigation; quantum simulation