Non-local updates for quantum Monte Carlo simulations

Abstract

We review the development of update schemes for quantum lattice models simulated using world line quantum Monte Carlo algorithms. Starting from the Suzuki-Trotter mapping we discuss limitations of local update algorithms and highlight the main developments beyond Metropolis-style local updates: the development of cluster algorithms, their generalization to continuous time, the worm and directed-loop algorithms and finally a generalization of the flat histogram method of Wang and Landau to quantum systems.

Comments: 14 pages, article for the proceedings of the "The Monte Carlo Method in the Physical Sciences: Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Metropolis Algorithm", Los Alamos, June 9-11, 2003