Scientists have achieved a significant milestone in quantum research by using Google’s quantum processor to simulate the interactions of fundamental particles.
The team modelled phenomena described by gauge theories, revealing how particles and the invisible ‘strings’ that link them behave, fluctuate, and can even break. The work provides a new tool for exploring particle physics, exotic quantum materials, and potentially the underlying structure of space and time.
Published in Nature, the study demonstrates the growing capabilities of quantum computing to simulate fundamental processes directly. Researchers suggest that this approach could deepen understanding of nature at its most elementary level, as governed by gauge theories, which describe the forces between particles.
“Our work shows how quantum computers can help us explore the fundamental rules that govern our universe,” said Michael Knap, Professor of Collective Quantum Dynamics at the TUM School of Natural Sciences. “By simulating these interactions in the laboratory, we can test theories in ways not previously possible.”
Pedram Roushan of Google Quantum AI, a co-author of the study, added: “Using the quantum processor, we examined the dynamics of a specific gauge theory and observed how particles and the invisible strings connecting them evolve over time.”
Tyler Cochran, graduate student at Princeton and first author, explained: “By adjusting the effective parameters of the model, we could tune the behaviour of the strings. They can fluctuate strongly, become tightly confined, or even break. The quantum processor data captures these hallmark behaviours, which have direct analogues in high-energy particle physics.”
The findings highlight the potential of quantum computing to accelerate research in fundamental physics and beyond, offering a new experimental platform to probe the deepest questions about the nature of the universe.
