Analog vs. Digital: The Race Is On To Simulate Our Quantum Universe
1 min read
Summary
Quantum physicists hope to use increasingly powerful quantum computers to simulate the quantum fields that underpin the universe and everything in it.
A team from the University of Innsbruck recently succeeded in simulating a two-dimensional electromagnetic field, observing quantum jitter in a digital field and the creation of particle pairs.
Using quantum digits (qudits), which can exist in three or more states, allows quantum simulation algorithms to shrink, become more efficient and reduce errors.
Other teams are using analog quantum simulators to map one quantum system onto another that is easier to configure and observe in the lab, and then allowing the laboratory system to evolve naturally.
Physicists are racing to see whether digital or analog quantum simulations are the best way of ultimately simulating the quantum field underlying the strong force.
