Universal Analog Quantum Simulation

TL;DR

Universal analog quantum simulation (UAQS) enhances the programmability of fixed-interaction quantum hardware by using optimized control fields to realize a broader class of many-body dynamics without decomposing into gates.

Contribution

The paper introduces UAQS, a hybrid framework that extends the capabilities of analog quantum simulators through continuous control, enabling programmable simulation of complex quantum systems.

Findings

UAQS accurately reproduces non-trivial many-body dynamics.

Numerical studies confirm UAQS's effectiveness on superconducting and Rydberg platforms.

UAQS transforms fixed-interaction devices into programmable simulators.

Abstract

Analog quantum simulators emulate complex many-body dynamics through native continuous-time evolution under hardware-defined interactions. Yet once a platform is specified, its interaction structure is largely fixed by the underlying hardware, restricting the Hamiltonians that can be realized and limiting programmability. Here we introduce universal analog quantum simulation (UAQS), a hybrid framework that systematically expands the range of accessible quantum evolutions within a given analog platform. UAQS employs optimized continuous-time control fields to engineer target dynamics directly, avoiding decomposition into discrete gate sequences. By preserving native analog evolution while extending the set of achievable Hamiltonians, UAQS transforms fixed-interaction analog devices into programmable simulators. Numerical studies on representative architectures, including superconducting circuits and Rydberg-atom arrays, show that UAQS accurately reproduces non-trivial many-body dynamics beyond the intrinsic interaction structure of the hardware. These results establish UAQS as a practical route toward programmable analog quantum simulation.