Increasing complexity with quantum physics

TL;DR

This paper explores the deep connection between complex systems science and quantum physics, highlighting how quantum correlations underpin phenomena like cryptography, computation, and phases, and demonstrating their power through examples.

Contribution

It introduces the role of correlations as a key link between quantum information and complex systems, with novel examples of quantum resources enabling advanced simulations and computations.

Findings

Quantum correlations can simulate complex stochastic processes.

Quantum resources enable classically impossible computational tasks.

Correlations are central to understanding quantum complexity.

Abstract

We argue that complex systems science and the rules of quantum physics are intricately related. We discuss a range of quantum phenomena, such as cryptography, computation and quantum phases, and the rules responsible for their complexity. We identify correlations as a central concept connecting quantum information and complex systems science. We present two examples for the power of correlations: using quantum resources to simulate the correlations of a stochastic process and to implement a classically impossible computational task.