Flowing Through Hilbert Space: Quantum-Enhanced Generative Models for Lattice Field Theory

Abstract

Sampling from high-dimensional and structured probability distributions is a fundamental challenge in computational physics, particularly in the context of lattice field theory (LFT), where generating field configurations efficiently is critical, yet computationally intensive. In this work, we apply a previously developed hybrid quantum-classical normalizing flow model to explore quantum-enhanced sampling in such regimes. Our approach embeds parameterized quantum circuits within a classical normalizing flow architecture, leveraging amplitude encoding and quantum entanglement to enhance expressivity in the generative process. The quantum circuit serves as a trainable transformation within the flow, while classical networks provide adaptive coupling and compensate for quantum hardware imperfections. This design enables efficient density estimation and sample generation, potentially reducing the resources required compared to purely classical methods. While LFT provides a representative and physically meaningful application for benchmarking, our focus is on improving the sampling efficiency of generative models through quantum components. This work contributes toward the development of quantum-enhanced generative modeling frameworks that address the sampling bottlenecks encountered in physics and beyond.