The Variational Quantum Eigensolver: a review of methods and best practices

Understand

The variational quantum eigensolver (or VQE) uses the variational principle to compute the ground state energy of a Hamiltonian, a problem that is central to quantum chemistry and condensed matter physics.

• Conventional computing methods are constrained in their accuracy due to the computational limits.
• The VQE may be used to model complex wavefunctions in polynomial time, making it one of the most promising near-term applications for quantum computing.
• Finding a path to navigate the relevant literature has rapidly become an overwhelming task, with many methods promising to improve different parts of the algorithm.