A general quantum algorithm for open quantum dynamics demonstrated with the Fenna-Matthews-Olson complex

TL;DR

This paper introduces a generalized quantum algorithm capable of simulating open quantum systems, demonstrated on the FMO complex, showing potential quantum advantage over classical methods in simulating biological quantum dynamics.

Contribution

The authors develop a universal quantum algorithm for open quantum dynamics and demonstrate it on a biological system, marking a significant step in quantum simulation of complex biological processes.

Findings

Quantum algorithm successfully simulates FMO complex dynamics.

Quantum approach offers a query complexity advantage over classical methods.

First demonstration of quantum simulation for a realistic biological structure.

Abstract

Using quantum algorithms to simulate complex physical processes and correlations in quantum matter has been a major direction of quantum computing research, towards the promise of a quantum advantage over classical approaches. In this work we develop a generalized quantum algorithm to simulate any dynamical process represented by either the operator sum representation or the Lindblad master equation. We then demonstrate the quantum algorithm by simulating the dynamics of the Fenna-Matthews-Olson (FMO) complex on the IBM QASM quantum simulator. This work represents a first demonstration of a quantum algorithm for open quantum dynamics with a moderately sophisticated dynamical process involving a realistic biological structure. We discuss the complexity of the quantum algorithm relative to the classical method for the same purpose, presenting a decisive query complexity advantage of the quantum approach based on the unique property of quantum measurement.