Boson sampling for molecular vibronic spectra

Abstract

Controllable quantum devices open novel directions to both quantum computation and quantum simulation. Recently, a problem known as boson sampling has been shown to provide a pathway for solving a computationally intractable problem without the need for a full quantum computer, instead using a linear optics quantum set-up. In this work, we propose a modification of boson sampling for the purpose of quantum simulation. In particular, we show that, by means of squeezed states of light coupled to a boson sampling optical network, one can generate molecular vibronic spectra, a problem for which no efficient classical algorithm is currently known. We provide a general framework for carrying out these simulations via unitary quantum optical transformations and supply specific molecular examples for future experimental realization.