Quantum complexity in gravity, quantum field theory, and quantum information science

Stefano Baiguera; Vijay Balasubramanian; Pawel Caputa; Shira Chapman; Jonas Haferkamp; Michal P. Heller; Nicole Yunger Halpern

doi:10.1016/j.physrep.2025.11.001

arXiv · 2503.10753

Quantum complexity in gravity, quantum field theory, and quantum information science

Stefano Baiguera·Vijay Balasubramanian·Pawel Caputa·Shira Chapman·Jonas Haferkamp·Michal P. Heller·Nicole Yunger Halpern

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Abstract

Quantum complexity quantifies the difficulty of preparing a state or implementing a unitary transformation with limited resources. Applications range from quantum computation to condensed matter physics and quantum gravity. We seek to bridge the approaches of these fields, which define and study complexity using different frameworks and tools. We describe several definitions of complexity, along with their key properties. In quantum information theory, we focus on complexity growth in random quantum circuits. In quantum many-body systems and quantum field theory (QFT), we discuss a geometric definition of complexity in terms of geodesics on the unitary group. In dynamical systems, we explore a definition of complexity in terms of state or operator spreading, as well as concepts from tensor-networks. We also outline applications to simple quantum systems, quantum many-body models, and QFTs including conformal field theories (CFTs). Finally, we explain the proposed relationship between complexity and gravitational observables within the holographic anti-de Sitter (AdS)/CFT correspondence.

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hep-th cond-mat.stat-mech cond-mat.str-el gr-qc quant-ph

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Stefano Baiguera, Vijay Balasubramanian, Pawel Caputa, Shira Chapman, Jonas Haferkamp, Michal P. Heller, Nicole Yunger Halpern. 2025-03-13. Quantum complexity in gravity, quantum field theory, and quantum information science. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physrep.2025.11.001

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