Quantum simulation

The figure shows a quantum simulation in which all ions fluoresce , indicating that they are all in the same state.

As quantum simulation is defined as the study of quantum systems that under laboratory conditions do not scan and with the help of supercomputers not be simulated. A quantum simulator is a controllable quantum system that is used to mimic another quantum system. Quantum simulators have to be specially designed and built for a particular simulation purpose.

The idea of quantum simulation goes back to the physicist Richard Feynman . In 1982 he proposed an "analog quantum computer " based on the reproduction and imitation of quantum systems and not on digital coding of them.

application areas

Quantum simulation is to be used in particular in materials research , where it would help to calculate material properties in advance. This is not possible with conventional methods, because even supercomputers cannot calculate magnetism and electricity down to the last detail if more than 30 quanta are involved, and thus cannot provide absolutely reliable predictions about material properties.

Feynman has shown the reason for the failure of classic computers: The computing speed of conventional Turing machines slows down exponentially when they are used to calculate quantum effects .

Working principle

Quantum simulations make use of special properties of quantum mechanics . Thus quanta in the state of superposition can assume two different states at the same time. So 8 states can be mapped with 3 qubits . If more qubits are added, the number of states increases exponentially: 2 ^N states for N qubits. The computing power of quantum simulators is growing accordingly.

In addition, quantum simulation uses another quantum property, quantum entanglement . This effect allows two far apart particles to be coupled to each other, so that the behavior of one depends on the other.

Web links

Video documentation about the German physicist Immanuel Bloch, who was awarded the Körber Prize for European Science in 2013

Individual evidence

[1] ttps://tu-dresden.de/mn/physik/itp/tfp/ressourcen/daten/teach_folder/hs_ultracold/qusimul.pdf

[2] ttps://rd.springer.com/10.1007/BF02650179

[3] ttps://tu-dresden.de/mn/physik/itp/tfp/ressourcen/daten/teach_folder/hs_ultracold/qusimul.pdf

[4] Quantum Manifesto

[5] ttp://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/tech-beat/tb20120502.cfm/

[6] ttp://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/tech-beat/tb20120502.cfm

[7] ttp://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/tech-beat/tb20120502.cfm/