Date of Award

2022

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Natural Sciences

First Advisor

Colladay, Donald

Area of Concentration

Physics and Mathematics

Abstract

Recent algorithmic advances in formulating quantum field theories on quantum computing hardware provide hope that a larger class of time-dependent observables will be accessible by simulation. Specifically, quantum computers may be able to perform quantum field theory simulations with a Minkowski-metric. This is in contrast to the Euclidean-metric classical calculations currently use. However, even on quantum hardware, quantum field theories must be computed using finite-volume space-times. New relations must be established between the finite-volume Minkowski-signature amplitudes a quantum computer would produce and the desired infinite-volume observables. In anticipation of these developments, this thesis looks at new methods and formalisms for the extraction of metric sensitive data from finite-volume Minkowskisignature correlation functions. The goal is to develop ways of estimating the infinitevolume limit without resorting to prohibitively large volume sizes. After outlining the formalism for encoding and exploring finite-volume effects, infinite-volume extraction procedures are tested. A brute-force extrapolation to larger volumes is first shown to be inadequate. Recovery to sub-percent deviation from the infinite-volume target is possible only for volumes several orders of magnitude larger than what is used in modern classical simulations. An improvement strategy that greatly reduces the volume size needed is presented. The strategy is based on averaging over the reduced symmetries of the finite-volume system. Sub-percent deviation is recovered for volume-sizes more feasible for the first quantum computer simulations.

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