Variational approach to open quantum systems with long-range competing interactions

Competition between short- and long-range interactions underpins many emergent phenomena in nature. Despite rapid progress in their experimental control, computational methods capable of accurately simulating open quantum many-body systems with complex long-ranged interactions at scale remain scarce. Here, we address this limitation by introducing an efficient and scalable approach to dissipative quantum lattices in one and two dimensions, combining matrix product operators and time-dependent variational Monte Carlo. We showcase the versatility, effectiveness, and unique methodological advantages of our algorithm by simulating the non-equilibrium dynamics and steady states of spin-$$\frac{1}{2}$$ lattices with competing algebraically-decaying interactions for as many as N = 200 sites, revealing the emergence of spatially-modulated magnetic order far from equilibrium. This approach offers promising prospects for advancing our understanding of the complex non-equilibrium properties of a diverse variety of experimentally-realizable quantum systems with long-ranged interactions, including Rydberg atoms, ultracold dipolar molecules, and trapped ions. Far-from-equilibrium many-body quantum systems with complex non-local interactions are of significant fundamental and practical importance. Here the authors demonstrate how variational Monte Carlo in combination with compact tensor network parameterization of the density matrix enables accurate and scalable simulation of such open quantum systems.