Compactly representing and efficently applying linear operators are fundamental ingredients in tensor network methods for simulating quantum many-body problems and solving high-dimensional problems in scientific computing. In this work, we study such representations for tree tensor networks, the so called tree tensor network operators (TTNOs), paying particular attention to Hamiltonian operators that involve long-range pairwise interactions between particles. Generalizing the work by Lin, Tong, and others on matrix product operators, we establish a direct connection between the hierarchical low-rank structure of the interaction matrix and the TTNO property. This connection allows us to arrive at very compact TTNO representations by compressing the interaction matrix into a hierarchically semi-separable matrix. Numerical experiments for different quantum spin systems validate our results and highlight the potential advantages of TTNOs over matrix product operators.

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