Researchers from the University of Rochester’s Hajim School of Engineering & Applied Sciences have achieved a significant milestone in the development of quantum computers capable of simulating complex natural phenomena. By utilizing photonics-based quantum computing systems, the team led by Professor Qiang Lin has created a chip-scale optical quantum simulation system that could pave the way for feasible simulations at the quantum level. Their findings were published in Nature Photonics.
In their experiments, the team simulated a synthetic space that emulates the physical world by manipulating the frequency, or color, of quantum entangled photons as time progresses. This innovative approach deviates from traditional photonics-based computing, which focuses on controlling the paths of photons. Moreover, it substantially reduces the physical space and resources required for the simulations.
According to Lin, the team has successfully generated a quantum-correlated synthetic crystal, marking a significant breakthrough. The extended dimensions of the synthetic space enabled the researchers to simulate various quantum-scale phenomena, including the random walks of quantum entangled photons.
The researchers believe that their system serves as a foundation for more intricate simulations in the future. While the simulated systems themselves are well understood, this proof-of-principle experiment underscores the potential of the new approach for scaling up to more complex simulations and computation tasks. The team is eager to explore these possibilities in forthcoming research.
Apart from Professor Qiang Lin, the study’s lead author, Usman Javid ’23 Ph.D., and other co-authors from Lin’s group, including Raymond Lopez-Rios, Jingwei Ling, Austin Graf, and Jeremy Staffa, contributed to this research endeavor.
Source: University of Rochester