Physics Colloquium: Zohreh Davoudi, "Simulating Nature's Fundamental Interactions: From Classical Computations to Quantum Simulations"
Please note this event occurred in the past.
November 20, 2024 3:45 pm - 5:00 pm ET
Hasbrouck 134. Refreshments at 3:45. Presentation begins at 4:00.
"Simulating Nature's Fundamental Interactions: From Classical Computations to Quantum Simulations"
Zohreh Davoudi, University of Maryland, College Park
Abstract:
The strong force in nature, which is at the core of nuclear-physics phenomena, is described by the theory of quantum chromodynamics (QCD). It has long generated an active and growing field of research and discovery. Despite the development of QCD more than half a century ago, plenty of questions remain. What does the phase diagram of matter governed by strong interactions (such as the interior of neutron stars) look like? How does matter evolve and thermalize after energetic processes such as after the Big Bang or in particle colliders?
A successful program called lattice QCD has enabled a first-principles look into some properties of matter with the aid of classical computing. At the same time, we have yet to come up with a more powerful computational tool to predict the complex dynamics of matter from the underlying interactions. Can a large reliable (digital or analog) quantum simulator eventually enable studies of the strong force? What does a quantum simulator have to offer to simulate QCD, and how far away are we from such a dream?
In this talk, I will describe a vision for how we may go on a journey toward quantum simulating QCD; by taking insights from early-to-late developments of lattice QCD and its achievements; motivating the need for novel theoretical, algorithmic, and hardware approaches to quantum-simulating this unique problem; and providing examples of early steps taken to date in establishing a quantum-computational lattice-QCD program.
"Simulating Nature's Fundamental Interactions: From Classical Computations to Quantum Simulations"
Zohreh Davoudi, University of Maryland, College Park
Abstract:
The strong force in nature, which is at the core of nuclear-physics phenomena, is described by the theory of quantum chromodynamics (QCD). It has long generated an active and growing field of research and discovery. Despite the development of QCD more than half a century ago, plenty of questions remain. What does the phase diagram of matter governed by strong interactions (such as the interior of neutron stars) look like? How does matter evolve and thermalize after energetic processes such as after the Big Bang or in particle colliders?
A successful program called lattice QCD has enabled a first-principles look into some properties of matter with the aid of classical computing. At the same time, we have yet to come up with a more powerful computational tool to predict the complex dynamics of matter from the underlying interactions. Can a large reliable (digital or analog) quantum simulator eventually enable studies of the strong force? What does a quantum simulator have to offer to simulate QCD, and how far away are we from such a dream?
In this talk, I will describe a vision for how we may go on a journey toward quantum simulating QCD; by taking insights from early-to-late developments of lattice QCD and its achievements; motivating the need for novel theoretical, algorithmic, and hardware approaches to quantum-simulating this unique problem; and providing examples of early steps taken to date in establishing a quantum-computational lattice-QCD program.