Digital quantum simulation of cavity quantum electrodynamics: insights from superconducting and trapped ion quantum testbeds

Journal Article · Wed Oct 08 00:00:00 EDT 2025 · Quantum Science and Technology

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/2058-9565/ae0af0· OSTI ID:2999151

Rubin, Alex H. ^[1]; Marinelli, Brian ^[2]; Norman, Victoria A. ^[1]; Rizvi, Zainab ^[1]; Burch, Ashlyn Damaris ^[3]; Naik, Ravi K. ^[2]; Kreikebaum, John Mark ^[2]; Chow, Matthew Nikolas Helson ^[3]; Lobser, Daniel S. ^[3]; Revelle, Melissa C. ^[3]; Yale, Christopher Gordon ^[3]; Ivory, Megan Kathleen ^[3]; Santiago, David I. ^[2]; Spitzer, Christopher ^[2]; Marinkovic, Marina ^[4]; Clark, Susan Marie ^[3]; Siddiqi, Irfan ^[2]; Radulaski, Marina ^[1]

---

1. University of California, Davis, CA (United States)
2. University of California, Berkeley, CA (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
3. Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
4. Eidgenoessische Technische Hochschule (ETH), Zurich (Switzerland)

We explore the potential for hybrid development of quantum hardware where currently available quantum computers simulate open cavity quantum electrodynamical (CQED) systems for applications in optical quantum communication, simulation and computing. Our simulations make use of a recent quantum algorithm that maps the dynamics of a singly excited open Tavis–Cummings model containing N atoms coupled to a lossy cavity. We report the results of executing this algorithm on two noisy intermediate-scale quantum computers: a superconducting processor and a trapped ion processor, to simulate the population dynamics of an open CQED system featuring N = 3 atoms. By applying technology-specific transpilation and error mitigation techniques, we minimize the impact of gate errors, noise, and decoherence in each hardware platform, obtaining results which agree closely with the exact solution of the system. These results can be used as a recipe for efficient and platform-specific quantum simulation of cavity–emitter systems on contemporary and future quantum computers.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: National Science Foundation (NSF); UC Multicampus Research Programs and Initiatives of the University of California; US Department of Energy; USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR); USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP); USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP) (SC-25)
• Grant/Contract Number: AC02-05CH11231; NA0003525
• OSTI ID: 2999151
• Alternate ID(s): OSTI ID: 3008745
• Report Number(s): SAND--2025-13197J; 1789254; ark:/13030/qt4v24712x; https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4v24712x
• Journal Information: Quantum Science and Technology, Journal Name: Quantum Science and Technology Journal Issue: 4 Vol. 10; ISSN 2058-9565
• Publisher: IOP Publishing
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

cavity QED
error mitigation
quantum simulation