Stabilizer Approximation II: From H$_2$O To C$_6$H$_6$

Abstract: We apply the stabilizer method to the study of some complicated molecules, such as water and benzene. In the minimal STO-3G basis, the former requires 14 qubits, and the latter 72 qubits, which is very challenging. Quite remarkably, We are still able to find the best stabilizer states at all the bond lengths. Just as the previously studied H$_2$, LiH and BeH$_2$ molecules, here the stabilizer states also approximate the true ground states very well, especially when the molecules are strongly distorted. These results suggest stabilizer states could serve as natural reference states when the system involves strong static correlation. And in the language of quantum computing, one would expect stabilizer states to be natural initial states for chemical simulation.