Boson sampling has been theoretically proposed and experimentally demonstrated to show quantum computational advantages. However, it still lacks the deep understanding of the practical applications of boson sampling. Here we propose that boson sampling can be used to efficiently simulate the work distribution of multiple identical bosons. We link the work distribution to boson sampling and numerically calculate the transition amplitude matrix between the single-boson eigenstates in a one-dimensional quantum piston system, and then map the matrix to a linear optical network of boson sampling. The work distribution can be efficiently simulated by the output probabilities of boson sampling using the method of the grouped probability estimation. The scheme requires at most a polynomial number of the samples and the optical elements. Our work opens up a new path towards the calculation of complex quantum work distribution using only photons and linear optics.

玻色子采样已在理论上提出并通过实验证明显示出量子计算的优势。然而，仍然缺乏对玻色子采样实际应用的深入理解。在这里，我们提出玻色子采样可以用来有效地模拟多个相同玻色子的功分布。我们将功分布与玻色子采样联系起来，数值计算一维量子活塞系统中单玻色子本征态之间的跃迁幅度矩阵，然后将矩阵映射到玻色子采样的线性光学网络。利用分组概率估计的方法，可以通过玻色子采样的输出概率来有效地模拟工作分布。该方案最多需要多项式数量的样本和光学元件。我们的工作开辟了一条仅使用光子和线性光学计算复杂量子功分布的新途径。