Assessment of the variational quantum eigensolver: application to the Heisenberg model

Abstract

We present and analyze large-scale simulation results of a hybrid quantum-classical variational method to calculate the ground state energy of the anti-ferromagnetic Heisenberg model. Using a massively parallel universal quantum computer simulator, we observe that a low-depth-circuit ansatz advantageously exploits the efficiently preparable Néel initial state, avoids potential barren plateaus, and works for both one- and two-dimensional lattices. The analysis reflects the decisive ingredients required for a simulation by comparing different ansätze, initial parameters, and gradient-based versus gradient-free optimizers. Extrapolation to the thermodynamic limit accurately yields the analytical value for the ground state energy, given by the Bethe ansatz. We predict that a fully functional quantum computer with 100 qubits can calculate the ground state energy with a relatively small error.

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Cited by in corpus (5)

• The Variational Quantum Eigensolver: a review of methods and best practices
• Algebraic Bethe Circuits
• Preparing Valence-Bond-Solid states on noisy intermediate-scale quantum computers
• Improved variational quantum eigensolver via quasi-dynamical evolution
• Characterization of variational quantum algorithms using free fermions