Accelerating the Fourier split operator method via graphics processing units

Current generations of graphics processing units have turned into highly parallel devices with general computing capabilities. Thus, graphics processing units may be utilized, for example, to solve time dependent partial differential equations by the Fourier split operator method. In this contribution, we demonstrate that graphics processing units are capable to calculate fast Fourier transforms much more efficiently than traditional central processing units. Thus, graphics processing units render efficient implementations of the Fourier split operator method possible. Performance gains of more than an order of magnitude as compared to implementations for traditional central processing units are reached in the solution of the time dependent Schrödinger equation and the time dependent Dirac equation.

► Graphics processing units (GPUs) are powerful parallel computing devices.
► Fast Fourier transform is more than an order of magnitude faster on GPUs than on CPUs.
► GPUs enable very efficient implementations of the Fourier split operator method.
► Time-dependent Dirac equation can be solved efficiently on GPUs.