Analog quantum simulation of chemical dynamics with a trapped-ion system

The simulation of a quantum chemical system is challenging using conventional computers, particularly in strong vibronic (vibrational + electronic) coupling regimes where the Born-Oppenheimer approximation breaks down. We show that vibronic coupling Hamiltonians representing ultrafast molecular dynamics can be efficiently simulated on quantum systems with coupled internal states and bosonic modes. Furthermore, this "mixed qudit boson" (MQB) approach can be extended to time-domain measurements used to reproduce molecular absorption spectra. We present preliminary experimental results performed with a trapped-ion system.