Analog quantum simulation of $φ^4$ field theory with a superconducting transmission line

Fluxonium is a superconducting qubit approach for quantum computing hardware. Source: latex text.

Abstract

Understanding the dynamics of interacting quantum fields remains a fundamental challenge. We propose a superconducting transmission line for analog quantum simulation of $(1+1)$-dimensional ${\phi }^4$ field theory. The transmission line comprises fluxonium-like circuit elements whose continuous and unbounded phase variables encode a scalar field without Hilbert-space truncation. Their anharmonic potentials provide strong interactions. Tuning the circuit parameters provides access to two distinct regimes. In the first, the transmission line emulates ${\phi }^4$ field theory with a single-well potential. We confirm this correspondence through lattice Monte Carlo calculations of the low-energy spectra of both the circuit and lattice ${\phi }^4$ theory. This regime enables scattering experiments between counter-propagating particle wave packets. The second parameter set yields a double-well potential that emulates ${\phi }^4$ theory in the symmetry-broken phase and hosts degenerate vacua. Interfaces between the two vacua form topological kinks, and the transmission line can simulate kink-antikink collisions. We present state preparation and measurement protocols for both collision experiments, enabling spatially resolved, real-time studies of particle and soliton scattering in an interacting quantum field theory.

Key Findings

Links

• arXiv: 2610.11071

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