06. February 2025
(CONNECT) Two physicists at the PSI Center for Scientific Computing, Theory and Data have built and successfully tested an innovative digital-analog quantum simulator together with researchers from Google and universities across five countries. According to a report from PSI: “this represents a milestone.” The information provided states that this is because the simulator not only calculates physical processes with unprecedented precision but also has a particularly flexible concept and is thus suitable to be applied to many issues, from solid-state physics to astrophysics. The researchers’ work was published in the specialist journal Nature on February 6, 2025.
A key feature of this quantum simulator is that the 69 superconducting quantum bits on the quantum chip developed by Google enable both digital and analog operating modes. They were successfully combined for the first time in the experiment to bring together the strengths of both worlds. PSI physicist Andreas Läuchli commented: “Our research demonstrates that it is possible to create superconducting analog-digital quantum processors on a chip and that these are suitable as quantum simulators.”
Unlike current analog quantum simulators, this analog-digital simulator can answer a diverse array of questions. According to PSI, this paves the way for a universal quantum simulator that can be used in a wide range of fields of physics. In addition to the creation of a thermodynamic equilibrium tested recently, other applications could extend to new materials like high-temperature superconductors, black holes in space, or medications with fewer side effects. Läuchli added: “Our quantum simulator opens the door to new research.” ce/mm
