Efficient quantum simulation of QCD jets on the light front

Journal Article · 30 April 2025 · Physical Review. D.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.111.096001 · OSTI ID:2563752

Qian, Wenyang ; Li, Meijian ; Salgado, Carlos A. ; Kreshchuk, Michael

Quark and gluon jets provide one of the best ways to probe the matter produced in ultrarelativistic high-energy collisions, from cold nuclear matter to hot quark-gluon plasma. In this work, we propose a unified framework for efficient quantum simulation of many-body dynamics using the ( $3+1$ )-dimensional QCD Hamiltonian on the light front, particularly suited for studying the scattering of quark and gluon jets on nuclear matter in heavy-ion collisions. We describe scalable methods for mapping physical degrees of freedom onto qubits and for simulating in-medium jet evolution. We then validate our framework by implementing an algorithm that directly maps second-quantized Fock states onto qubits and uses Trotterized simulation for simulating time dynamics. Using a classical emulator, we investigate the evolution of quark and gluon jets with up to three particles in Fock states, extending prior studies. These calculations enable the study of key observables, including jet momentum broadening, particle production, and parton distribution functions. Published by the American Physical Society 2025

• Research Organization: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: US Department of Energy; 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
• OSTI ID: 2563752
• Journal Information: Physical Review. D., Journal Name: Physical Review. D. Journal Issue: 9 Vol. 111; ISSN PRVDAQ; ISSN 2470-0010
• Publisher: American Physical SocietyCopyright Statement
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English