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An approach for calculating astrophysical opacities on quantum computers

Year: 2026

Type: preprint

Abstract: We propose a quantum algorithmic protocol for calculating astrophysical opacities. Our implementation uses first- and second-quantized representations of interacting electronic and photonic subsystems and Hamiltonian simulation via the interaction picture. Inferring opacity from momentum-resolved measurements of the photonic register yields a direct relationship between qubit count and spectral range/resolution. Logical resource estimates for the classically challenging problem of solar iron opacity are comparable to another high-energy-density physics problem (Rubin et al., PNAS 121(3) (2024)).

Source: arXiv (Cornell University)

DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2607.02811

Authors: Pathak, Shivesh, Kononov, Alina, Baczewski, Andrew D.

Institutions: Sandia National Laboratories California, Sandia National Laboratories

Topic: Quantum Computing Algorithms and Architecture

Subfield: Artificial Intelligence

Field: Computer Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

OpenAlex ID: W7167595552

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