Quantum simulation – Engineering & understanding quantum systems atom-by-atom
Monika Aidelsburger,
Max-Planck-Institute of Quantum Optics and Ludwig-Maximilians-University,
Munich
The
computational resources required to describe the full state of a
quantum many-body system scale exponentially with the number of
constituents. This severely limits our ability to explore and understand
the fascinating phenomena of quantum systems using classical
algorithms. Quantum simulation offers a potential route to overcome
these limitations. The idea is to build a well-controlled quantum system
in the laboratory that represents the problem of interest, and whose
properties can be studied through controlled measurements.
In
this talk, I will introduce quantum simulators based on neutral atoms
confined in optical arrays using laser beams. State-of-the-art
experiments now generate arrays of several thousand particles while
maintaining control at the level of single atoms. I will show how these
systems can be used to study topological phases of matter and to
simulate the dynamics of lattice gauge theories, enabling new routes to
explore phenomena inspired by high-energy physics. Together with recent
developments in novel probes inspired by quantum information science
these advances open exciting new opportunities for discoveries in
fundamental quantum many-body physics across fields.