SCIENTIFIC EDUCATIONAL CENTER science idea

Scientists from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, MISIS, the Russian Quantum Center, the Bauman Moscow State Technical University, and the Dukhov All-Russian Research Institute of Automation conducted an experiment in which superconducting qubits simulated the transfer of photons in the Bose-Hubbard model. The numerical solution of the model on a classical computer to verify the experimental data obtained on the simulator in two hours took about a week on the 138-core computing cluster of the VNIIA. Dukhova.

Now there are two areas of development of quantum computers: universal quantum computers that can perform specialized algorithms many times faster than their classical counterparts, and quantum simulators that are created specifically for solving specific problems, like special-purpose integrated circuits (ASICs). The implementation of universal calculators is a much more complex engineering task, since it is necessary to make error correction algorithms. For simulators, the main thing is to match the physical system for which they are created.

The dominant role in quantum computing is played by superconducting qubits-transmons. Many theoretical and several experimental works have shown that arrays of qubit-transmons are also well suited for creating quantum simulators for solving problems of condensed matter physics, calculating macroscopic and microscopic properties of substances.

A new study conducted by Russian scientists shows for the first time that linear arrays of superconducting qubits-transmons can simulate the transmission of photons to study the superconductor — insulator transition in the Bose — Hubbard model. Moreover, this required a relatively simple architecture: connecting qubits to microwave waveguides and conducting direct transmission spectroscopy. The experiment showed exactly how superconducting simulators can help solve problems in materials science and study non-naturally occurring phases of matter (for example, superfluids).

The numerical solution of the model on a classical computer to verify the experimental data obtained in two hours took about a week on the 138-core computing cluster of the VNIIA. Dukhova and showed a brilliant correspondence between theory and measurement. This result, obtained on only five qubits-transmons, shows that the development of systems with a large number of qubits will allow us to observe the behavior of models, the complexity of which lies far beyond the limits of most supercomputers.

This research opens up new horizons both in the field of application of quantum simulators and in the quantum optics of multiparticle quantum systems, continuing the successful joint research of the MIPT Laboratory of Artificial Quantum Systems and the MISIS Laboratory of Superconducting Metamaterials. The scientists hope that further collaboration will allow them to develop, manufacture, and investigate larger qubit systems with unusual properties that are now only predicted in theoretical papers.

The article is published in the journal Physical Review Letters
The image is an optical photo of the device (above, in false color) and a diagram of an equivalent physical model with bosons trapped in a periodic potential (below) © Physical Review Letters

Source: polit.ru, sci-dig.ru