Speaker
Description
We present a hybrid classical quantum approach for simulating lattice QCD in the strong coupling regime using a quantum annealer. In this limit, lattice QCD can be reformulated in terms of color singlet degrees of freedom monomers subject to local constraints arising from Grassmann integration. This dual representation eliminates the gauge fields while retaining essential non perturbative features such as confinement. We map the constrained dual variables onto a quadratic unconstrained binary optimization (QUBO) problem compatible with the D-Wave quantum annealer, where the physical constraints are enforced through penalty terms. To mitigate current hardware limitations, we employ a sublattice based strategy: small lattice blocks are sampled on the annealer and then embedded into a Metropolis-Hastings update scheme. The quantum annealer generates non local update proposals, which can improve sampling efficiency and reduce autocorrelation compared with conventional local update methods. Benchmark studies for U(3) strong coupling QCD indicate improved decorrelation and acceptance rates. We also discuss possible extensions to SU(3) gauge theory and the inclusion of gauge corrections beyond the strong coupling limit, suggesting that quantum annealing may provide a useful component of hybrid computational frameworks for exploring non perturbative QCD.