Connects decision-makers and solutions creators to what's next in quantum computing

Analog Quantum Hardware Tackles Unsolvable Physics ProblemsAnalog Quantum Hardware Tackles Unsolvable Physics Problems

Purpose-built quantum simulator could model superconducting materials

Berenice Baker, Editor, Enter Quantum, co-editor AI Business

February 8, 2023

1 Min Read
A portrait image of Andrew Mitchell with short hair and bears, wearing a suit
Study co-author Andrew Mitchell is the director of the UCD Center for Quantum Engineering, Science, and TechnologyUCD

The notion of using code on classical computers to simulate quantum computing circuits until the hardware can catch up is well established, but there are some problems that they may not be powerful enough to tackle.

Researchers have developed an analog hardware approach to model physics problems that quantum simulation software running on even the most powerful digital classical supercomputer cannot.

The scientists, from University College Dublin (UCD) and Stanford University, said their ‘quantum simulator’ can simulate interactions between two quantum objects, and can be scaled for more complicated systems.

The new tool could be used to investigate materials that are superconducting at room temperature. The superconducting materials currently used in MRI machines, high-speed trains and long-distance, energy-efficient power networks can only operate at extremely low temperatures.

The findings were published in the journal Nature Physics.

“Certain problems are simply too complex for even the fastest digital classical computers to solve,” said Andrew Mitchell, director of the UCD Center for Quantum Engineering, Science, and Technology and a co-author of the study.

“The accurate simulation of complex quantum materials such as the high-temperature superconductors is a really important example. That kind of computation is far beyond current capabilities because of the exponential computing time and memory requirements needed to simulate the properties of realistic models.”

He added that the analog quantum simulators the team developed solve specific models in quantum physics by using the inherent quantum mechanical properties of its nanoscale components.

"We're always making mathematical models that we hope will capture the essence of phenomena we’re interested in, but even if we believe they're correct, they're often not solvable in a reasonable amount of time,” said David Goldhaber-Gordon, creator of the device at Stanford’s Experimental Nanoscience Group.

About the Author

Berenice Baker

Editor, Enter Quantum, co-editor AI Business, Informa TechTarget

Berenice is the editor of Enter Quantum and co-editor of AI Business. She has over 20 years of experience as a technology journalist, having previously worked at The Engineer and Global Defence Technology.

Before that, she worked as an IT consultant, fuelling her passion for technology and innovation. She graduated with one of the country's first-ever IT degrees so long ago it coincided with Tim Berners-Lee inventing the World Wide Web.

Berenice lives in north London with her cat Huxley. In her spare time, she enjoys going to music gigs, museums and galleries, dabbling in art and playing guitar (badly).

Sign Up for the Newsletter
The most up-to-date news and insights into the latest emerging technologies ... delivered right to your inbox!

You May Also Like