Symmetry-Reduced Variational Quantum Simulation of the $U(5)\rightarrow SU(3)$ Quantum Phase Transition in the Interacting Boson Model
The spherical-to-deformed quantum phase transition of the Interacting Boson Model (IBM) is investigated using the variational quantum eigensolver (VQE). The $U(5)$--$SU(3)$ transitional Hamiltonian is studied with $χ=-\sqrt{7}/2$. We develop a symmetry-preserving, minimum-qubit VQE framework for collective nuclear models, achieving a substantial reduction in qubit requirements without compromising the finite-size quantum-phase-transition physics. The transition is characterized through the normalized $d$-boson occupation and ground-state energy derivatives. Finite-size results are found to approach the analytic critical point $ξ_c=8/17\simeq0.470588$, with an independent order-parameter extrapolation yielding $ξ_\infty=0.46986(61)$. The VQE reproduces ground-state energies and structural observables to numerical precision. These results demonstrate the potential of symmetry-reduced VQE for efficient quantum simulations of collective nuclear dynamics and quantum phase transitions.