Hybrid quantum-classical approach for combinatorial problems at hadron colliders

In recent years, quantum computing has drawn significant interest within the field of high-energy physics. We explore the potential of quantum algorithms to resolve the combinatorial problems in particle physics experiments. As a concrete example, we consider top quark pair production in the fully hadronic channel at the Large Hadron Collider. We investigate the performance of various quantum algorithms such as the Quantum Approximation Optimization Algorithm (QAOA), a feedback-based algorithm (FALQON) and a variational quantum imaginary time evolution algorithm (VarQITE). We demonstrate that the efficiency for selecting the correct pairing is greatly improved by utilizing quantum algorithms over conventional kinematic methods. Furthermore, we observe that gate-based universal quantum algorithms perform on par with machine learning techniques and either surpass or match the effectiveness of quantum annealers. Our findings reveal that quantum algorithms not only provide a substantial increase in matching efficiency but also exhibit adaptability and the potential for scalability, making them promising candidates for a variety of high-energy physics applications, as quantum hardware technology matures. Moreover, quantum algorithms eliminate the extensive training processes needed by classical machine learning methods, enabling real-time adjustments based on individual event data.