Simulating how matter behaves under extreme conditions is essential for exploring some of the deepest questions about the universe. The Standard Model of particle physics describes how fundamental particles interact and provides equations that help scientists explain these natural phenomena.
Yet, when systems become highly dynamic or reach extremely dense states, the Standard Model’s equations become nearly impossible to solve, even using the most advanced classical supercomputers. Quantum computing may offer a powerful new way to model these complex systems with far greater efficiency.
One of the biggest challenges in quantum simulations is preparing the correct initial state of matter on a quantum computer’s qubits. In a major breakthrough, scientists have now developed scalable quantum circuits capable of generating the starting state of a particle collision similar to those produced in a particle accelerator. This work focuses on the strong interactions described within the Standard Model, which govern the behavior of quarks and gluons inside atomic nuclei.
The team first designed and tested these circuits for small-scale systems using classical computers. They then used the circuits’ scalable structure to extend the approach to much larger systems simulated directly on a quantum computer. Using IBM’s quantum processors, the researchers successfully modeled key features of nuclear physics on more than 100 qubits, marking a significant step toward practical quantum simulations.
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