Gate-Based Quantum Simulation of Finite-Temperature Open-System Dynamics: A Post-Processing Reconstruction Approach for Collision Models

Abstract:Simulating open-system dynamics on gate-based quantum computers offers a route to exploring dissipative quantum phenomena through programmable quantum processing. Collision models provide a direct and flexible framework by representing the environment through sequential system--ancilla collisions. At finite temperatures, however, they typically require repeated preparation of thermal ancillas, adding circuit overhead and gate errors. Here, we show that, for a broad class of $U(1)$-symmetric system--ancilla interactions, finite-temperature dynamics can instead be reconstructed from simulations with pure ancillas in orthogonal basis states. The target temperature enters only through classical post-processing of the resulting pure-branch data, allowing the same data to be reused for different temperatures without additional quantum processing. Bypassing explicit thermal-state preparation reduces ancilla-preparation overhead and preparation-induced errors.

arXiv:2610.04075 [quant-ph]

(or arXiv:2610.04075v1 [quant-ph] for this version)

https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2610.04075 Focus to learn more arXiv-issued DOI via DataCite (pending registration)

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