Compact neural-network quantum state representations of Jastrow and stabilizer states

Abstract

Neural-network quantum states (NQSs) have become a powerful tool in many-body physics. Of the numerous possible architectures in which neural-networks can encode amplitudes of quantum states the simplicity of the complex restricted Boltzmann machine (RBM) has proven especially useful for both numerical and analytical studies. In particular devising exact NQS representations for important classes of states, like Jastrow and stabilizer states, has provided useful clues into the strengths and limitations of the RBM based NQS. However, current constructions for a system of N spins generate NQS with M ∼ O(N 2) hidden units that are very sparsely connected. This makes them rather atypical NQS compared to those commonly generated by numerical optimisation. Here we focus on compact NQS, denoting NQS with a hidden unit density α = M/N ⩽ 1 but with system-extensive hidden-visible unit connectivity. By unifying Jastrow and stabilizer states we introduce a new exact representation that requires at most M = N − 1 hidden units, illustrating how highly expressive α ⩽ 1 can be. Owing to their structural similarity to numerical NQS solutions our result provides useful insights and could pave the way for more families of quantum states to be represented exactly by compact NQS.