APS Logo

experimental measurement of out-of-time-order correlators at finite temperature on a trapped ion quantum computer

ORAL

Abstract



Out-of-time-order correlators (OTOCs) are a key observable in the study of quantum scrambling dynamics and, by extension, for exploring the physics of black holes and many-body systems using quantum simulators [1]. Here we report the first experimental measurements of an OTOC at finite temperatures using a digital simulation of the transverse-field Ising model on a trapped-ion quantum computer. We efficiently measure the OTOC through local observables only, following separate Trotterized time evolution of each half of a variationally-prepared thermofield double state [2]. We use this technique to quantify the dependence of OTOC decay on the temperature using 6-qubit quantum circuits.

[1] Landsman et al. Nature 567, 61–65 (2019).

[2] Sundar, Bhuvanesh. arXiv:2006.15093.

Presenters

  • Alaina Green

    Joint Quantum Institute and Department of Physics, University of Maryland, JQI, University of Maryland, College Park

Authors

  • Alaina Green

    Joint Quantum Institute and Department of Physics, University of Maryland, JQI, University of Maryland, College Park

  • Bhuvanesh Sundar

    JILA Boulder, JILA, U Colorado, JILA, NIST, Department of Physics and Center for Theory of Quantum Matter, University of Colorado

  • Andreas Elben

    University of Innsbruck, Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Innsbruck and Center for Quantum Physics, University of Innsbruck

  • Lata Kh Joshi

    Center for Quantum Physics, University of Innsbruck

  • Torsten Zache

    University of Innsbruck, Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Innsbruck and Center for Quantum Physics, University of Innsbruck

  • Norbert M Linke

    JQI and QuICS and Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, University of Maryland, College Park, Joint Quantum Institute and Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park 20740, USA