Quantum simulation - Engineering & Understanding Quantum Systems Atom-by-Atom

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. This talk 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. These systems can be used to study topological phases of matter and to simulate the dynamics of lattice gauge theories, opening new routes to explore phenomena inspired by high-energy physics. Recent developments in novel probes inspired by quantum information science, opening new opportunities for discoveries in fundamental quantum many-body physics across fields.

Speaker: Monkia Aidelsburger, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich