The pursuit of accurately simulating quantum particles using a computer made up of quantum particles has been a long-standing goal for physicists. The recent collaboration between scientists at Forschungszentrum Jülich and colleagues from Slovenia has made significant progress in this area. By using a quantum annealer to model real-life quantum material, they have demonstrated the ability of quantum computing to directly mirror the microscopic interactions of electrons in the material. This breakthrough showcases the practical applicability of quantum computing in solving complex material science problems, a feat that has long been deemed impossible with classical computers.
The application of quantum computing in modeling many-body systems presents a unique opportunity to study the behavior of a large number of particles that interact with each other. These systems play a crucial role in explaining phenomena such as superconductivity and quantum phase transitions at absolute zero temperature. Dragan Mihailović from the Jožef Stefan Institute in Slovenia highlights the challenge of quantitatively measuring and modeling the phase transitions of many-body systems. In their study, the scientists focused on the quantum material 1T-TaS2, which is essential in various applications such as superconducting electronics and energy-efficient storage devices.
The researchers conducted all calculations using the quantum annealer from the company D-Wave, integrated into the Jülich Unified Infrastructure for Quantum Computing, JUNIQ. By placing the system in a non-equilibrium state, they observed how electrons in the solid-state lattice rearranged themselves after a non-equilibrium phase transition, both experimentally and through simulations. The ability of the quantum annealer’s qubit interconnections to mirror the microscopic interactions between electrons in a quantum material marks a significant advancement in the field.
The study not only contributes to a deeper understanding of 1T-TaS2-based memory devices but also paves the way for the development of practical quantum memory devices implemented directly on a quantum processing unit (QPU). The potential of such devices to significantly reduce the energy consumption of computing systems highlights the broader application of quantum annealers in various fields. From cryptography to material science and complex system simulations, the practical implications of this research are vast and promising. The findings from this study have a direct impact on the development of energy-efficient quantum memory devices, pointing towards a future where quantum computing plays a pivotal role in advancing material science and technology.
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