Truncation-free quantum simulation of pure-gauge compact QED using Josephson arrays

Abstract Quantum simulation is one of the methods that have been proposed and used in practice to bypass computational challenges in the investigation of lattice gauge theories (LGTs). While most of the proposals rely on truncating the infinite dimensional Hilbert spaces that these models feature, we propose a truncation-free method based on the exact analogy between the local Hilbert space of lattice quantum electrodynamics and that of a Josephson junction. We provide several proposals, mostly semi-analog, arranged according to experimental difficulty. Our method can simulate a quasi-2D system of up to <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn> <mml:mo>×</mml:mo> <mml:mi>N</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> plaquettes, and we present an approximate method that can simulate the fully-2D theory, but is more demanding experimentally and not immediately feasible. This sets the ground for analog quantum simulation of LGTs with superconducting circuits, in a completely Hilbert space truncation-free procedure, for continuous gauge groups.