Quantum Computing Solution of the Bethe-Salpeter Equation for Relativistic Scalar Bound States via Tensor-Network VQE
Researchers demonstrated a gate-based quantum algorithm for solving the homogeneous Bethe-Salpeter equation for two massive relativistic scalar particles interacting through ladder-approximation scalar exchange. The approach uses a Wick rotation to Euclidean space and an O(4) S-wave partial-wave projection, reducing the problem to a symmetric matrix form. The resulting eigenvalue problem is then solved with a tensor-network variational quantum eigensolver.
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What this could mean
- 0–2 yearsPlausible
This could enable quantum computation of relativistic bound-state spectra for scalar models with more realistic interaction kernels within the next two years.
The tensor-network VQE framework already handles the Euclidean, angular-projected Bethe-Salpeter equation; replacing the scalar ladder kernel with a more general kernel is a modification within the same algorithm, provided the projected matrix remains computationally tractable.
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