Efficient Classical Algorithm for Boson Sampling with Partially Distinguishable Photons
Jelmer J. Renema, Adrian J. Menssen, William R. Clements, Gil Triginer, W. Steven Kolthammer, Ian A. Walmsley · Physical Review Letters · 2018
We demonstrate how boson sampling with photons of partial distinguishability can be expressed in terms of interference of fewer photons. We use this observation to propose a classical algorithm to simulate the output of a boson sampler fed with photons of partial distinguishability. We find conditions for which this algorithm is efficient, which gives a lower limit on the required indistinguishability to demonstrate a quantum advantage. Under these conditions, adding more photons only polynomially increases the computational cost to simulate a boson sampling experiment.