---
_id: '65847'
abstract:
- lang: eng
text: Simulating vibronic spectra is a central task in physical chemistry, offering
insight into important properties of molecules. Recently, it has been experimentally
demonstrated that photonic platforms based on Gaussian boson sampling (GBS) are
capable of performing these simulations. However, whether an actual GBS approach
is required depends on the molecule under investigation. To develop a better understanding
on the requirements for simulating vibronic spectra, we explore connections between
theoretical approximations in physical chemistry and their photonic counterparts.
Mapping these approximations into photonics, we show that for certain molecules
the GBS approach is unnecessary. We place special emphasis on the linear coupling
approximation, which in photonics corresponds to sampling from multiple coherent
states. By implementing this approach in experiments, we demonstrate improved
similarities over previously reported GBS results for formic acid and identify
the particular attributes that a molecule must exhibit for this, and other approximations,
to be valid. These results highlight the importance in forming deeper connections
between traditional methods and photonic approaches.
article_number: '89'
article_type: original
author:
- first_name: Jan-Lucas
full_name: Eickmann, Jan-Lucas
id: '73665'
last_name: Eickmann
orcid: 0009-0008-6524-7684
- first_name: Kai-Hong
full_name: Luo, Kai-Hong
id: '36389'
last_name: Luo
orcid: 0000-0003-1008-4976
- first_name: Mikhail
full_name: Roiz, Mikhail
id: '114114'
last_name: Roiz
- first_name: Jonas
full_name: Lammers, Jonas
last_name: Lammers
- first_name: Simone
full_name: Atzeni, Simone
id: '98338'
last_name: Atzeni
- first_name: Cheeranjiv
full_name: Pandey, Cheeranjiv
last_name: Pandey
- first_name: Florian
full_name: Lütkewitte, Florian
last_name: Lütkewitte
- first_name: Reza G.
full_name: Shirazi, Reza G.
last_name: Shirazi
- first_name: Fabian
full_name: Schlue, Fabian
id: '63579'
last_name: Schlue
- first_name: Benjamin
full_name: Brecht, Benjamin
id: '27150'
last_name: Brecht
orcid: '0000-0003-4140-0556 '
- first_name: Vladimir V.
full_name: Rybkin, Vladimir V.
last_name: Rybkin
- first_name: Michael
full_name: Stefszky, Michael
id: '42777'
last_name: Stefszky
- first_name: Christine
full_name: Silberhorn, Christine
id: '26263'
last_name: Silberhorn
citation:
ama: 'Eickmann J-L, Luo K-H, Roiz M, et al. Bridging chemistry and Gaussian boson
sampling: a photonic hierarchy of approximations for molecular vibronic spectra.
npj Quantum Information. 2026;12(1). doi:10.1038/s41534-026-01250-x'
apa: 'Eickmann, J.-L., Luo, K.-H., Roiz, M., Lammers, J., Atzeni, S., Pandey, C.,
Lütkewitte, F., Shirazi, R. G., Schlue, F., Brecht, B., Rybkin, V. V., Stefszky,
M., & Silberhorn, C. (2026). Bridging chemistry and Gaussian boson sampling:
a photonic hierarchy of approximations for molecular vibronic spectra. Npj
Quantum Information, 12(1), Article 89. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41534-026-01250-x'
bibtex: '@article{Eickmann_Luo_Roiz_Lammers_Atzeni_Pandey_Lütkewitte_Shirazi_Schlue_Brecht_et
al._2026, title={Bridging chemistry and Gaussian boson sampling: a photonic hierarchy
of approximations for molecular vibronic spectra}, volume={12}, DOI={10.1038/s41534-026-01250-x},
number={189}, journal={npj Quantum Information}, publisher={Springer Science and
Business Media LLC}, author={Eickmann, Jan-Lucas and Luo, Kai-Hong and Roiz, Mikhail
and Lammers, Jonas and Atzeni, Simone and Pandey, Cheeranjiv and Lütkewitte, Florian
and Shirazi, Reza G. and Schlue, Fabian and Brecht, Benjamin and et al.}, year={2026}
}'
chicago: 'Eickmann, Jan-Lucas, Kai-Hong Luo, Mikhail Roiz, Jonas Lammers, Simone
Atzeni, Cheeranjiv Pandey, Florian Lütkewitte, et al. “Bridging Chemistry and
Gaussian Boson Sampling: A Photonic Hierarchy of Approximations for Molecular
Vibronic Spectra.” Npj Quantum Information 12, no. 1 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41534-026-01250-x.'
ieee: 'J.-L. Eickmann et al., “Bridging chemistry and Gaussian boson sampling:
a photonic hierarchy of approximations for molecular vibronic spectra,” npj
Quantum Information, vol. 12, no. 1, Art. no. 89, 2026, doi: 10.1038/s41534-026-01250-x.'
mla: 'Eickmann, Jan-Lucas, et al. “Bridging Chemistry and Gaussian Boson Sampling:
A Photonic Hierarchy of Approximations for Molecular Vibronic Spectra.” Npj
Quantum Information, vol. 12, no. 1, 89, Springer Science and Business Media
LLC, 2026, doi:10.1038/s41534-026-01250-x.'
short: J.-L. Eickmann, K.-H. Luo, M. Roiz, J. Lammers, S. Atzeni, C. Pandey, F.
Lütkewitte, R.G. Shirazi, F. Schlue, B. Brecht, V.V. Rybkin, M. Stefszky, C. Silberhorn,
Npj Quantum Information 12 (2026).
date_created: 2026-06-12T08:14:35Z
date_updated: 2026-06-12T08:28:02Z
department:
- _id: '288'
- _id: '623'
- _id: '15'
doi: 10.1038/s41534-026-01250-x
intvolume: ' 12'
issue: '1'
language:
- iso: eng
main_file_link:
- open_access: '1'
url: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41534-026-01250-x.pdf
oa: '1'
project:
- _id: '191'
name: 'PhoQuant: Photonische Quantencomputer - Quantencomputing Testplattform'
publication: npj Quantum Information
publication_identifier:
issn:
- 2056-6387
publication_status: published
publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
related_material:
link:
- relation: research_data
url: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18969354
status: public
title: 'Bridging chemistry and Gaussian boson sampling: a photonic hierarchy of approximations
for molecular vibronic spectra'
type: journal_article
user_id: '73665'
volume: 12
year: '2026'
...