Distributed Tensor Network Library for Quantum Computing Emulation

Tensor networks offer an adaptable and efficient approach to emulation of quantum computers. Their usage relies on partitioning circuits into small tensors, which are contracted together to form the final result. While this approach intends to minimise the problem size, exceeding the locally available memory is sometimes unavoidable due to the exponential nature of quantum systems. Most HPC tensor network packages tackle this issue with a procedure called circuit slicing, which distributes the entire network onto multiple ranks, recombining it back when necessary. In this study, we present a novel alternative approach, where individual tensors are both broadcast and scattered to harness multiple levels of parallelism. The technique is abstracted behind a fixed distribution pattern, and actualised in a new portable tensor network library, QTNH, built on top of MPI and ScaLAPACK. We showcase its capabilities on ARCHER2, by emulating two well-known algorithms - the Quantum Fourier Transform and Random Circuit Sampling. This is accomplished by leveraging the implemented operations to realise various contraction strategies, including a unique distributed MPS tensor factorisation approach. We thus demonstrate that our library can be used to advance the accuracy of quantum emulation, while offering a simple and flexible interface to tensor distribution.