Resolving Microscopic Correlated Electron Dynamics via 2000-Qubit Quantum Simulation

Abstract

Understanding how quantum materials return to equilibrium after being driven into excited states is a fundamental problem in condensed matter physics. A prototypical material, 1T-TaS$_2$, exhibits complex electronic textures made up of domain walls, which slowly reorganize into a more uniform structure as the system relaxes. At low temperatures, this process becomes dominated by quantum rather than thermal effects. In this work, we use large-scale noise-driven quantum simulations-spanning more than 2000 qubits-to study this relaxation process through an effective model known as the transverse-field Ising model in a longitudinal field. By mathematically transforming this model into a simpler form, we identify the basic microscopic steps involved: rather than moving collectively, the domain walls evolve through a sequence of noise-driven single-particle tunneling events. A detailed analysis of how the relaxation rate depends on temperature and model parameters confirms this picture. Our findings show that quantum simulation can provide rare, predictive insight into the inner workings of real quantum materials, and establish a practical pathway for studying complex non-equilibrium processes using current-generation quantum hardware.