A research team led by faculty at the Duke Quantum Center (DQC) has observed string-breaking dynamics related to particle-antiparticle formation on a quantum simulator, among the first such observations in quantum physics.
The approach, described in the journal Nature Physics, shows that trapped-ion quantum computers can be used to probe fundamental questions about the universe. The experiment emulates string-breaking, a phenomenon in which two connected fundamental building blocks of matter stretch apart, building up enough energy that new particles "pop into existence" when the connection snaps.
"Quantum computer simulations provide the best platform to investigate complex questions like matter formation, short of having witnessed the Big Bang itself," said Christopher Monroe, the Gilhuly Family Presidential Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Physics at Duke, who led the research.
"These findings signal a marked development in the quantum science field and open new avenues for us to understand string-breaking dynamics.
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