Quantum Simulation of Polarized Light-induced Electron Transfer with A Trapped-ion Qutrit System

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates a quantum simulation of electron transfer influenced by polarized light using a trapped-ion qutrit system, highlighting the advantages of three-level systems for efficient and high-fidelity simulations.

Contribution

It introduces a novel quantum simulation approach employing trapped-ion qutrits to model light-induced electron transfer dynamics with improved efficiency and fidelity.

Findings

Successful implementation of qutrit-based quantum simulation of electron transfer.

Analysis of quantum interference effects in electron coupling pathways.

Identification of potential error sources in the simulation process.

Abstract

Electron transfer within and between molecules is crucial in chemistry, biochemistry, and energy science. This study describes a quantum simulation method that explores the influence of light polarization on the electron transfer between two molecules. By implementing precise and coherent control among the quantum states of trapped atomic ions, we can induce quantum dynamics that mimic the electron transfer dynamics in molecules. We use $3$-level systems (qutrits), rather than traditional two-level systems (qubits) to enhance the simulation efficiency and realize high-fidelity simulations of electron transfer dynamics. We treat the quantum interference between the electron coupling pathways from a donor with two degenerate excited states to an acceptor and analyze the transfer efficiency. We also examine the potential error sources that enter the quantum simulations. The trapped ion systems have favorable scalings with system size compared to those of classical computers, promising access to electron-transfer simulations of increasing richness.