Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Characterizing quantum phases of matter at finite temperature is essential for understanding complex materials and large-scale thermodynamic phenomena. Here, we develop algorithmic protocols for simulating quantum thermodynamics on quantum hardware through quantum kernel function expansion (QKFE), producing the free energy as an analytic function of temperature with uniform convergence. These protocols are demonstrated by simulating transverse field Ising and XY models with superconducting qubits. In both analog and digital implementations of the QKFE algorithms, we exhibit quantitative agreement of our quantum simulation experiments with the exact results. Our approach provides a general framework for computing thermodynamic potentials on programmable quantum devices, granting access to key thermodynamic properties such as entropy, heat capacity, and criticality, with far-reaching implications for material design and drug development.
Source: Physical Review Letters
DOI: 10.1103/n7tv-p5bp
Authors: Yangsen Ye, Jue Nan, Dong Chen, Torsten V. Zache, Qingling Zhu, Yiming Zhang, Yuan Li, Xiawei Chen, Chong Ying, Chen Zha, Sirui Cao, Shaowei Li, Shaojun Guo, Haoran Qian, Hao Rong, Yulin Wu, Kai Yan, Feifan Su, Hui Deng, Yu Xu, Jin Lin, Ming Gong, Fusheng Chen, Gang Wu, Yong-Heng Huo, Chao-Yang Lu, Cheng-Zhi Peng, Xiaobo Zhu, Xiaopeng Li, Jian-Wei Pan
Language: English
Subfield: Artificial Intelligence
Field: Computer Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funders: Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai, Jinan Science and Technology Bureau, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality, Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province, National Science and Technology Major Project, Key Technology Research and Development Program of Shandong, National Key Research and Development Program of China, Special Project for Research and Development in Key areas of Guangdong Province
OpenAlex ID: W7172304067