Simulating single-photon experiments with a quantum computer

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates how quantum computers can simulate photon experiments, including protective and non-protective measurements, providing insights into their efficiency for modeling physical systems.

Contribution

It introduces a method to simulate photon experiments with a quantum computer, comparing results with theoretical predictions and exploring measurement types.

Findings

Quantum computer simulations match theoretical predictions.

Protective measurements preserve wavefunction coherence.

Simulation efficiency increases with computational complexity.

Abstract

In this work, we simulate the behavior of photons in a laboratory experiment using a quantum computer and examine how the simulation results compare with the theoretical predictions. The experiment involves both protective and non-protective measurements. While the latter involves complete wavefunction collapse, the former combines weak interactions with a protective mechanism thereby preserving the photon wave function coherence until its final detection. The simulation gives insights as to how efficient quantum computers can be in simulating actual physical systems as the amount of computation increases.