Matchgate circuit representation of fermionic Gaussian states: optimal preparation, approximation, and classical simulation

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Langer, Marc, Morral-Yepes, Raúl, Gammon-Smith, Adam, Pollmann, Frank, Kraus, Barbara
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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_version_ 1866911490068447232
author Langer, Marc
Morral-Yepes, Raúl
Gammon-Smith, Adam
Pollmann, Frank
Kraus, Barbara
author_facet Langer, Marc
Morral-Yepes, Raúl
Gammon-Smith, Adam
Pollmann, Frank
Kraus, Barbara
contents Fermionic Gaussian states (FGSs) and the associated matchgate circuits play a central role in quantum information theory and condensed matter physics. Despite being possibly highly entangled, they can still be efficiently simulated on classical computers. We address the question of how to optimally create such states when using matchgate circuits acting on product states. To this end, we derive lower bounds on the number of gates required to prepare an arbitrary pure FGS: We establish both an asymptotic bound on the minimal gate count over general nearest-neighbor gate sets and an exact bound for circuits composed solely of matchgates. We present explicit algorithms whose constructions saturate these bounds, thereby proving their optimality. We furthermore determine when an FGS can be prepared with a circuit of any given depth, and derive an algorithm that constructs such a circuit whenever this condition is satisfied, either exactly or approximately. Our results have direct applications to (approximate) state preparation and to disentangling procedures. Moreover, we introduce a new classical simulation algorithm for matchgate circuits, based entirely on manipulating the generating circuits of the FGSs. Finally, we briefly study an extension of our framework for $t$-doped Gaussian states and circuits.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2603_05675
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Matchgate circuit representation of fermionic Gaussian states: optimal preparation, approximation, and classical simulation
Langer, Marc
Morral-Yepes, Raúl
Gammon-Smith, Adam
Pollmann, Frank
Kraus, Barbara
Quantum Physics
Fermionic Gaussian states (FGSs) and the associated matchgate circuits play a central role in quantum information theory and condensed matter physics. Despite being possibly highly entangled, they can still be efficiently simulated on classical computers. We address the question of how to optimally create such states when using matchgate circuits acting on product states. To this end, we derive lower bounds on the number of gates required to prepare an arbitrary pure FGS: We establish both an asymptotic bound on the minimal gate count over general nearest-neighbor gate sets and an exact bound for circuits composed solely of matchgates. We present explicit algorithms whose constructions saturate these bounds, thereby proving their optimality. We furthermore determine when an FGS can be prepared with a circuit of any given depth, and derive an algorithm that constructs such a circuit whenever this condition is satisfied, either exactly or approximately. Our results have direct applications to (approximate) state preparation and to disentangling procedures. Moreover, we introduce a new classical simulation algorithm for matchgate circuits, based entirely on manipulating the generating circuits of the FGSs. Finally, we briefly study an extension of our framework for $t$-doped Gaussian states and circuits.
title Matchgate circuit representation of fermionic Gaussian states: optimal preparation, approximation, and classical simulation
topic Quantum Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.05675