Entangling Disciplines: Causality, Entropy and Time-Travel Paradoxes on a Quantum Computer

TL;DR

This paper explores how current quantum computers can be used to teach and investigate fundamental physics concepts like relativity and thermodynamics, fostering interdisciplinary learning and understanding.

Contribution

It introduces quantum circuit experiments that connect quantum computing with physics topics, enhancing educational tools and insights in both fields.

Findings

Quantum experiments can illustrate relativity and thermodynamics principles.

Interactive learning materials can deepen understanding of quantum physics.

Practical quantum circuits are feasible on near-term quantum computers.

Abstract

Merging disciplines has led to incredible learnings and breakthroughs throughout history, including the discovery of quantum computing: a cross between computation and quantum physics. In this paper, I will discuss how we can cross quantum computing with topics in fundamental physics. This leads to fruitful, interactive learning opportunities that fuse deep open physics problems with key insights about quantum information science. By outlining quantum circuit experiments that can be run on current and near-term quantum computers, I demonstrate how to help learners engage with principles in special relativity, general relativity and thermodynamics. In turn, these connections can advance their understanding of quantum computing. Learners can further explore the quantum computing activities in this paper via the Quantum Paradoxes content series of videos, blogs and code tutorials that I created with IBM Quantum.