Systematic study on the dependence of the warm-start quantum approximate optimization algorithm on approximate solutions.

Quantum approximate optimization algorithm (QAOA) is a promising hybrid quantum-classical algorithm to solve combinatorial optimization problems in the era of noisy intermediate-scale quantum computers. Recently it has been revealed that warm-start approaches can improve the performance of QAOA, where approximate solutions are obtained by classical algorithms in advance and incorporated into the initial state and/or unitary ansatz. In this work, we study in detail how the accuracy of approximate solutions affects the performance of the warm-start QAOA (WS-QAOA). We numerically find that in typical MAX-CUT problems, WS-QAOA achieves higher fidelity (probability that exact solutions are observed) and approximation ratio than QAOA as the Hamming distance of approximate solutions to the exact ones becomes smaller. We reveal that this could be quantitatively attributed to the initial state of the ansatz. We also solve MAX-CUT problems by WS-QAOA with approximate solutions obtained via QAOA, having higher fidelity and approximation ratio than QAOA especially when the circuit is relatively shallow. We believe that our study may deepen understanding of the performance of WS-QAOA and also provide a guide as to the necessary quality of approximate solutions.

Wannier interpolation of one-particle Green's functions from coupled-cluster singles and doubles (CCSD).

We propose two schemes for interpolation of the one-particle Green's function (GF) calculated within a coupled-cluster singles and doubles (CCSD) method for a periodic system. These schemes use Wannier orbitals for circumventing huge cost for a large number of sampled k points. One of the schemes is the direct interpolation, which obtains the GF straightforwardly by using Fourier transformation. The other is the self-energy-mediated interpolation, which obtains the GF via the Dyson equation. We apply the schemes to a LiH chain and trans-polyacetylene and examine their validity in detail. It is demonstrated that the direct-interpolated GFs suffer from numerical artifacts stemming from slow convergence of CCSD GFs in real space, while the self-energy-mediated interpolation provides more physically appropriate GFs due to the localized nature of CCSD self-energies. Our schemes are also applicable to other correlated methods capable of providing GFs.

One-particle Green's function of interacting two electrons using analytic solutions for a three-body problem: comparison with exact Kohn-Sham system.

For a three-electron system with finite-strength interactions confined to a one-dimensional harmonic trap, we solve the Schrödinger equation analytically to obtain the exact solutions, from which we construct explicitly the simultaneous eigenstates of the energy and total spin for the first time. The solutions for the three-electron system allow us to derive analytic expressions for the exact one-particle Green's function (GF) for the corresponding two-electron system. We calculate the GF in frequency domain to examine systematically its behavior depending on the electronic interactions. We also compare the pole structure of non-interacting GF using the exact Kohn-Sham (KS) potential with that of the exact GF to find that the discrepancy of the energy gap between the KS system and the original system is larger for a stronger interaction. We perform numerical examination on the behavior of GFs in real space to demonstrate that the exact and KS GFs can have shapes quite different from each other. Our simple model will help to understand generic characteristics of interacting GFs.

Quasiparticle energy spectra of isolated atoms from coupled-cluster singles and doubles (CCSD): Comparison with exact CI calculations.

In this study, we have calculated single-electron energy spectra via the Green's function based on the coupled-cluster singles and doubles (GFCCSD) method for isolated atoms from H to Ne. In order to check the accuracy of the GFCCSD method, we compared the results with the exact ones calculated from the full-configuration interaction. Consequently, we have found that the GFCCSD method reproduces not only the correct quasiparticle peaks but also satellite ones by comparing the exact spectra with the 6-31G basis set. It is also found that open-shell atoms such as C atom exhibit Mott gaps at the Fermi level, which the exact density-functional theory fails to describe. The GFCCSD successfully reproduces the Mott highest-occupied molecular orbital and lowest-unoccupied molecular orbital gaps even quantitatively. We also discussed the origin of satellite peaks as shake-up effects by checking the components of wave function of the satellite peaks. The GFCCSD is a novel cutting edge to investigate the electronic states in detail.

Comparison of Green's functions for transition metal atoms using self-energy functional theory and coupled-cluster singles and doubles (CCSD).

We demonstrate in the present study that self-consistent calculations based on the self-energy functional theory (SFT) are possible for the electronic structure of realistic systems in the context of quantum chemistry. We describe the procedure of a self-consistent SFT calculation in detail and perform the calculations for isolated 3d transition metal atoms from V to Cu as a preliminary study. We compare the one-particle Green's functions obtained in this way and those obtained from the coupled-cluster singles and doubles method. Although the SFT calculation starts from the spin-unpolarized Hartree-Fock state for each of the target systems, the self-consistency loop correctly leads to degenerate spin-polarized ground states. We examine the spectral functions in detail to find their commonalities and differences among the atoms by paying attention to the characteristics of the two approaches. It is demonstrated via the two approaches that calculations based on the density functional theory (DFT) can fail in predicting the orbital energy spectra for spherically symmetric systems. It is found that the two methods are quite reliable and useful beyond DFT.

Band structures in coupled-cluster singles-and-doubles Green's function (GFCCSD).

We demonstrate that the coupled-cluster singles-and-doubles Green's function (GFCCSD) method is a powerful and prominent tool drawing the electronic band structures and the total energies, which many theoretical techniques struggle to reproduce. We have calculated single-electron energy spectra via the GFCCSD method for various kinds of systems, ranging from ionic to covalent and van der Waals, for the first time: the one-dimensional LiH chain, one-dimensional C chain, and one-dimensional Be chain. We have found that the bandgap becomes narrower than in HF due to the correlation effect. We also show that the band structures obtained from the GFCCSD method include both quasiparticle and satellite peaks successfully. Besides, taking one-dimensional LiH as an example, we discuss the validity of restricting the active space to suppress the computational cost of the GFCCSD method. We show that the calculated results without bands that do not contribute to the chemical bonds are in good agreement with full-band calculations. With the GFCCSD method, we can calculate the total energies and spectral functions for periodic systems in an explicitly correlated manner.

A Novel Intrinsic Interface State Controlled by Atomic Stacking Sequence at Interfaces of SiC/SiO2.

On the basis of ab initio total-energy electronic-structure calculations, we find that electron states localized at the SiC/SiO2 interface emerge in the energy region between 0.3 eV below and 1.2 eV above the bulk conduction-band minimum (CBM) of SiC, being sensitive to the sequence of atomic bilayers in SiC near the interface. These new interface states unrecognized in the past are due to the peculiar characteristics of the CBM states that are distributed along the crystallographic channels. We also find that the electron doping modifies the energetics among the different stacking structures. Implication for performance of electron devices fabricated on different SiC surfaces is discussed.

Quantum Singwi-Tosi-Land-Sjölander approach for interacting inhomogeneous systems under electromagnetic fields: Comparison with exact results.

For inhomogeneous interacting electronic systems under a time-dependent electromagnetic perturbation, we derive the linear equation for response functions in a quantum mechanical manner. It is a natural extension of the original semi-classical Singwi-Tosi-Land-Sjölander (STLS) approach for an electron gas. The factorization ansatz for the two-particle distribution is an indispensable ingredient in the STLS approaches for the determination of the response function and the pair correlation function. In this study, we choose an analytically solvable interacting two-electron system as the target for which we examine the validity of the approximation. It is demonstrated that the STLS response function reproduces well the exact one for low-energy excitations. The interaction energy contributed from the STLS response function is also discussed.

Interstitial channels that control band gaps and effective masses in tetrahedrally bonded semiconductors.

We find that electron states at the bottom of the conduction bands of covalent semiconductors are distributed mainly in the interstitial channels and that this floating nature leads to the band-gap variation and the anisotropic effective masses in various polytypes of SiC. We find that the channel length, rather than the hexagonality prevailed in the past, is the decisive factor for the band-gap variation in the polytypes. We also find that the floating nature causes two-dimensional electron and hole systems at the interface of different SiC polytypes and even one-dimensional channels near the inclined SiC surface.

Floating electron states in covalent semiconductors.

We report first-principles electronic-structure calculations that clarify the floating nature of electron states in covalent semiconductors. It is found that wave functions of several conduction- and valence-band states, including the conduction-band minima, do not distribute near atomic sites, as was taken for granted, but float in interstitial channels in most semiconductors. The directions and shapes of the interstitial channels depend on the crystal symmetry so that mysterious variation of the energy gaps in SiC polymorphs is naturally explained by considering the floating nature.