Scientists Simulated How Matter Can Emerge From Pure Energy On A Quantum Computer - IFLScience

CLOSEWe have emailed you a PDF version of the article you requested.Please check your spam or junk folder You can also addnewsletters@iflscience.comto your safe senders list to ensure you never miss a message from us.Support Science JournalismBecome a memberACCOUNTSIGN INSIGN OUTSearchSupport Science JournalismBecome a memberSupport Science JournalismBecome a memberMY ACCOUNTSIGN OUTMY ACCOUNTTHE VAULTMAGAZINESIGN OUTDR. ALFREDO CARPINETIDR. ALFREDO CARPINETISpace & Physics EditorAlfredo has a PhD in Astrophysics and a Master's in Quantum Fields and Fundamental Forces from Imperial College London.BookView full profileBookRead IFLScience Editorial PolicySpace & Physics EditorAlfredo has a PhD in Astrophysics and a Master's in Quantum Fields and Fundamental Forces from Imperial College London.View full profileAlfredo has a PhD in Astrophysics and a Master's in Quantum Fields and Fundamental Forces from Imperial College London.JOHANNES VAN ZIJLManaging DirectorJohannes holds an MSci in Neuroscience from King’s College London, where he worked on projects involving Alzheimer’s disease and Fragile X syndrome.BookView full profileBookRead IFLScience Editorial PolicyThe process is called String-breaking. Image Credit: Jurik Peter/Shutterstock.comDOWNLOAD PDF VERSIONQuarks are truly funny particles. They are the fundamental building blocks of the protons and neutrons, but we have never seen them directly. It is also impossible to have a single quark: they do not exist individually. They are either in pairs, triplets, or more.If two quarks are pulled apart, the energy to separate them is so high that it creates two extra quarks in the process. Thanks to a quantum computer, this can now be simulated in the lab.The phenomenon is called string-breaking. The strong nuclear force, one of the four fundamental forces, holds them together a bit like a taut string.It is possible for particles to pop into existence if there is enough energy in a concentrated space. The breaking of the strong nuclear bond, once the distance and the energy are beyond a certain threshold, is enough to create two new quarks.Studying this is easier said than done. Quarks are studied indirectly thanks to the most powerful accelerators. We do not have ways to slowly pull apart quarks and see what happens.Quantum computers might be the solution to this problem. A team from the Duke Quantum Center (DQC) used a quantum simulator made of trapped-ion quantum computing.Ions are atoms that have an electric charge due to having extra electrons or lacking some. The simulator was made of 13 trapped ions that could be tuned with lasers. The setup of the simulator was encoded to act like a string-breaking model.The simulation was then validated with a regular computer that confirmed the accuracy.“Working at the intersection of quantum simulation and high-energy physics is incredibly exciting,” first author Arinjoy De, previously at DQC and now machine lead at QuEra Computing, said in a statement. “By simulating quark confinement and string-breaking phenomena in a controlled lab environment, we're opening up new pathways for experimental investigations into the behavior of matter at its most fundamental level.”The work is a first step in building quantum simulations that are complex enough to go beyond what is possible to recreate with supercomputers. The “going-beyond” is a crucial promise of quantum computers.“Quantum computer simulations provide the best platform to investigate complex questions like matter formation, short of having witnessed the Big Bang itself,” added Professor Christopher Monroe. “These findings signal a marked development in the quantum science field and open new avenues for us to understand string-breaking dynamics.”A paper discussing the results was published in the journal Nature Physics.Written by Dr. Alfredo CarpinetiAdd us as a Google preferred source to see more of our trusted coverage in Search link to articlelink to articlelink to articlelink to articlelink to articlelink to articleReceive weekly science coverage direct to your inbox© 2026 IFLScience.

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