Standard Model Physics and the Digital Quantum Revolution: Thoughts about the Interface

TL;DR

This paper discusses how advances in quantum control and entanglement are enabling new scientific and technological progress, particularly in simulating complex quantum systems relevant to the Standard Model and high-energy physics.

Contribution

It provides a perspective on the role of entanglement and quantum simulation in advancing nuclear and high-energy physics within the NISQ era.

Findings

Quantum devices are becoming practical tools for exploring classically-intractable systems.

Entanglement serves as a diagnostic and organizational tool in quantum many-body research.

Progress in quantum simulation aligns with scientific goals in nuclear and high-energy physics.

Abstract

Advances in isolating, controlling and entangling quantum systems are transforming what was once a curious feature of quantum mechanics into a vehicle for disruptive scientific and technological progress. Pursuing the vision articulated by Feynman, a concerted effort across many areas of research and development is introducing prototypical digital quantum devices into the computing ecosystem available to domain scientists. Through interactions with these early quantum devices, the abstract vision of exploring classically-intractable quantum systems is evolving toward becoming a tangible reality. Beyond catalyzing these technological advances, entanglement is enabling parallel progress as a diagnostic for quantum correlations and as an organizational tool, both guiding improved understanding of quantum many-body systems and quantum field theories defining and emerging from the Standard Model. From the perspective of three domain science theorists, this article compiles thoughts about the interface on entanglement, complexity, and quantum simulation in an effort to contextualize recent NISQ-era progress with the scientific objectives of nuclear and high-energy physics.