Advancements in Quantum Simulation Efficiency Using HPC Clusters

A recent paper titled "Simulator Demonstration of Large Scale Variational Quantum Algorithm on HPC Cluster" by Mikio Morita, Yoshinori Tomita, Junpei Koyama, and Koichi Kimura presents advancements in quantum simulation technology. The authors focus on addressing the computational challenges associated with variational quantum algorithms, particularly the exponential resource demands related to the number of qubits involved.

The study introduces two innovative methods aimed at enhancing the efficiency of quantum simulations. The first method optimizes the use of computational resources by adjusting the ratio of Message Passing Interface (MPI) and distributed processing parallelism based on specific problem settings. The second method simplifies the Hamiltonian, which is crucial for ensuring accuracy in the calculation results.

Using a high-performance computing (HPC) cluster equipped with up to 1024 FUJITSU Processor A64FX processors, the researchers successfully demonstrated ground-state energy calculations of a fermionic model. Their results indicate a remarkable speedup of 200 times in variational quantum eigensolver (VQE) simulations, allowing for the calculation of ground-state energies for systems with up to 32 qubits in a practical timeframe.

This research suggests that simulations involving more than 30 qubits can be realistically conducted, paving the way for further exploration of variational quantum algorithms. The findings could have significant implications for the development of quantum computing applications, particularly in fields requiring complex simulations.

The full paper can be accessed at arXiv:2402.11878.