# Quantum Simulation of Abelian Lattice Gauge Theories via State-Dependent Hopping

## TL;DR

This paper proposes a quantum simulation method for Abelian gauge theories using state-dependent hopping controlled by impurity particles, applicable to systems like quantum electrodynamics, and assesses its feasibility in various experimental setups.

## Contribution

It introduces a novel quantum simulator architecture for U(1) gauge theories based on controllable particle hopping via impurity states, avoiding fine-tuning of interactions.

## Key findings

- Feasible experimental scheme for simulating gauge theories.
- Effective in double well potentials at single-particle and many-body levels.
- Applicable to atom-ion systems with micro-motion considerations.

## Abstract

We develop a quantum simulator architecture that is suitable for the simulation of $U(1)$ Abelian gauge theories such as quantum electrodynamics. Our approach relies on the ability to control the hopping of a particle through a barrier by means of the internal quantum states of a neutral or charged impurity-particle sitting at the barrier. This scheme is experimentally feasible, as the correlated hopping does not require fine-tuning of the intra- and inter-species interactions. We investigate the applicability of the scheme in a double well potential, which is the basic building block of the simulator, both at the single-particle and the many-body mean-field level. Moreover, we evaluate its performance for different particle interactions and trapping, and, specifically for atom-ion systems, in the presence of micro-motion.