Abstract:
Gauge theories are ubiquitous in fundamental physics with applications ranging from high-energy particle physics over emergent phenomena in condensed matter to quantum information science and technology. Since several regimes of interest have remained inaccessible to classical simulations, they constitute an ideal target for quantum simulations.
In this talk, I will present our progress towards the quantum simulation of lattice gauge theories (LGTs). After highlighting key challenges that are unique to LGTs, I will review the current state-of-the-art, and then discuss outstanding open problems. Our proposed solutions involve specialised quantum hardware [1] to run digital quantum algorithms [2] that are tailored to the requirements of LGTs. At the same time, existing hardware already allows us to study phenomenological aspects of LGTs, such as the dynamics of string-breaking, as demonstrated by recent results using an analog Rydberg quantum simulator [3].

Dear JILAns,

With everything happening in the world, building a strong scientific community seems more important than ever. Posterfest is a chance to come together, celebrate JILA’s research, and support each other’s work.

We hope you’ll join us for JILA Posterfest 2025, happening at 3 pm on Thursday, May 1, in the X-Wing.

Posterfest is a fantastic opportunity to share your research, connect with fellow JILAns, and learn about the amazing science happening across our community—all while enjoying delicious pizza (including veggie, vegan, and gluten-free options) and your choice of alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages.

For those new to Posterfest or who may not remember, this event brings together graduate students, postdocs, and researchers to present their work in a casual, interactive setting.

Last year, we saw presentations on everything from high harmonic generation to ultrafast electron dynamics, squeezed-light optical imaging, and fundamental symmetry violations in the universe. This is a great time to highlight your research, get feedback, and engage with the JILA community.

This year, we're making a few changes to enhance the experience:

Instead of three short sessions, we'll have two 45-minute presentation slots, giving you more time to listen, ask questions, and discuss science.

We’re looking for volunteers to help with setup, IDing, and cleanup—if you’re interested, please email kenna.castleberry@colorado.edu or hannah.douglas@colorado.edu.

Want to present your research? Sign up at this link (the deadline to apply is Monday, April 14th)

We hope to see you there!

Best,
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Hannah Douglas, and Krista Beck

Speaker: Peter Zoller

Title: Bounded-Error Quantum Simulation via Hamiltonian and Liouvillian Learning

Abstract: We present both theoretical and trapped-ion experimental results on analog quantum simulation, focusing on two key aspects: (i) a black-box learning approach for reconstructing the many-body Hamiltonian and Liouvillian, and (ii) a method to derive guaranteed error bounds for observables during quench dynamics, using experimental data alone. This framework contributes to the advancement of quantum simulation with certifiable precision on NISQ and digital devices, and is, in principle, applicable within regimes where quantum advantage can be realized.

Speaker: Charles Fromonteil

Title: Nonlocal mass superpositions in large-distance quantum sensor networks

Abstract: Recent advances in quantum information and communication hold great promise for probing fundamental physics effects. While the interplay between general relativity and quantum mechanics has been explored on small scales with optical atomic clocks, probing these effects for large distances and large masses remains a challenge. In this talk, I will discuss our work on using large-distance quantum sensor networks of atom ensembles to emulate atomic clock interferometry experiments. For this, we introduce a nonlocal Ramsey interferometry protocol based on the generation and manipulation of nonlocal superpositions of mass/energy. I will show how to engineer such states using variational circuits, and illustrate how this allows us to probe gravity-induced dynamics through several examples.

Nonequilibrium quantum systems exhibit phenomena not seen in equilibrium but are also less well understood. To study these systems, quantum simulators hold much promise due to their broad tunability and access to measurement observables. In this defense, I present experiments engineering nonequilibrium quantum phases of matter using many strontium atoms in a high-finesse optical cavity. Observations include a first experimental realization of three dynamical phases in quenched BCS superconductors and insights into many-body gap protection in fermionic superfluids. These results set the stage for studying more complex superconductors and further utilizing multilevel systems for quantum simulation.

Abstract forthcoming

Abstract forthcoming