  Quantum simulators have the exciting prospect of giving access to real-time
dynamics of lattice gauge theories, in particular in regimes that are difficult
to compute on classical computers. Future progress towards scalable quantum
simulation of lattice gauge theories, however, hinges crucially on the
efficient use of experimental resources. As we argue in this work, due to the
fundamental non-uniqueness of discretizing the relativistic Dirac Hamiltonian,
the lattice representation of gauge theories allows for an optimization that up
to now has been left unexplored. We exemplify our discussion with lattice
quantum electrodynamics in two-dimensional space-time, where we show that the
formulation through Wilson fermions provides several advantages over the
previously considered staggered fermions. Notably, it enables a strongly
simplified optical lattice setup and it reduces the number of degrees of
freedom required to simulate dynamical gauge fields. Exploiting the optimal
representation, we propose an experiment based on a mixture of ultracold atoms
trapped in a tilted optical lattice. Using numerical benchmark simulations, we
demonstrate that a state-of-the-art quantum simulator may access the Schwinger
mechanism and map out its non-perturbative onset.
