Spectral Fingerprints of Gauge Theories on a Quantum Computer

Maximally mixed state spectral sampling is an unbiased quantum algorithm that allows for extraction of a finite-resolution spectral distribution from a Hamiltonian over potentially the entire allowed range of energies. We show how it may be focused on any desired area of the spectrum in order to learn about the full fingerprint of the model of interest: from its ground state phenomena such as quantum criticality, obtained from the lowest lying energies, to its thermalization behavior, obtained from the mid-spectrum. We demonstrate this technique specifically on a (1+1)d non-Abelian SO(3) gauge theory, providing a comprehensive analysis of the steps necessary for performing this algorithm, as well as what is possible in the near-term with superconducting quantum hardware, performing simulations with circuits that are 78 two-qubit gates deep. We show how this algorithm is able to take advantage of emerging dynamical circuit capabilities in near-term hardware to roughly halve the number required qubits, as well as how quantum readout error mitigation is trivial for this method. Along the way, we propose a novel strategy for compiling the controlled-time evolutions needed for spectral sampling by means of Pauli-frame optimizations. We illustrate two physical applications of quantum spectral sampling - disordered many-body transitions, and mid-spectrum densities of states - and what postprocessing steps they require beyond the Fourier outputs of the algorithm.