Detall

Toward quantum simulating Nature's fundamental particles and interactions

By: Zohreh Davoudi, University of Maryland

Date: Tuesday, 29 Jan 2026 at 12:00

Place: Aula Magna Enric Casassas and YouTube Live

Abstract: Fundamental particles and interactions in nature, which are at the core of nuclear- and particle-physics phenomena, are described by the Standard Model, via the relativistic and quantum framework of gauge field theories. Exploring Standard-Model physics and beyond continues to be an active and growing field of research and discovery. Some of the questions are: 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 equilibrate after energetic processes, such as after the Big Bang or in particle colliders? While many successful formal, analytical, and computational paradigms have been developed over the years to advance this frontier, many such questions have not yet been satisfactorily answered. Can a large reliable quantum simulator/computer eventually enable studies of matter governed by the fundamental interactions? What does a quantum simulator have to offer to simulate (beyond-the-)Standard-Model dynamics, 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 Standard Model and beyond, will motivate the need for novel theoretical, algorithmic, and hardware approaches to quantum simulating this unique problem, and will provide examples of the steps taken to date in establishing a quantum-computational nuclear- and particle-physics program.