A group of physicists from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the InQubator for Quantum Simulations center, and the University of Trento have developed a quantum algorithm for modeling one of the most crucial processes in the universe – scattering. The findings of this study have been published in the esteemed scientific journal Physical Review C.
Scattering is a physical phenomenon that occurs on both a cosmic and microscopic scale. It is observable in various scenarios such as collisions of billiard balls, interactions of atomic nuclei inside stars leading to the creation of heavy elements, and even when sound waves change trajectory due to collisions with air molecules.
Sofia Quaglioni, a researcher at the Livermore Laboratory, explains, “Studying scattering processes allows us to gain a better understanding of fundamental particles and their interactions. By observing collisions within substances – whether solid materials, atoms, molecules, or nuclei – we unveil the secrets of the microscopic structure of matter.”
The focus of the scientists was on a specific type of interaction – non-relativistic elastic scattering. In this scenario, an object moves significantly slower than the speed of light, collides with a stationary target, and rebounds while conserving all its energy.
As more objects participate in such interactions, the complexity of calculations increases exponentially, surpassing the capabilities of conventional computers. Quantum systems, on the other hand, can handle a much larger volume of data.
Quaglioni highlights, “Quantum computers are ideal for tracking the evolution of a system comprised of two interacting objects over time.” Her colleague, Kyle Wendt, adds, “To simulate nuclear processes occurring during a star’s explosion on a classical supercomputer, we would require a computer the size of the moon.”
The newly developed algorithm analyzes the initial state of the system when a moving object approaches a stationary target, along with potential interaction data. It then methodically recreates the collision process, utilizing a special detector and the “variation stunt” at each step. The detector monitors changes in the system’s state post-collision, while the variation method determines the degree of particle wave shift accurately.