In a published work in Naturesthe researchers were able to perform the first quantum simulation of a wormhole holographic using a quantum processor, unfortunately however, as also obvious, they did not create a tunnel through space and time, but they were able to create a quantum configuration that behaves just like a particle traveling through a wormholeand this approach could be invaluable in overcoming the current limitations of physics.
If you didn’t know, a wormhole, also known as Einstein-Rosen bridge, is a theoretical solution to general relativity, which is our current best understanding of gravity, but we know that as theories go, relativity is limited, and it doesn’t really work with quantum mechanics. Bridging these two theories is a major goal of modern physics, and one way to do that is with a theory called quantum gravity.
But how would a quantum simulation of a wormhole help?
Among the various cornerstones of quantum gravity is the so-called holographic principleand just as a hologram uses information in two dimensions to create the appearance of a three-dimensional object, the principle holds that in quantum gravity it is possible to understand the properties of a three-dimensional object by studying the effects on a lower dimensional boundary, therefore the simulation quantum mechanics of a wormhole can simplify many problems.
This is because one of these problems is wormholes, and although in general relativity mathematics allows for the existence of these elements, they require negative energy, something that has not been found in physics, but the theoretical work done on quantum gravity has found similarities between wormholes and a process called quantum teleportationand it’s much easier to make a quantum simulation of a wormhole if you transform it into a holographic one.
This connection enabled the first test of quantum gravity on a real quantum computer, the processor Google Sycamore. The system uses nine qubits, quantum bits, the basic units of information used to perform calculations in quantum computers, where one qubit was teleported through the processor in a way that was equivalent to traveling through a traversable wormhole in two dimensions.
“We have found a quantum system that exhibits the key properties of a gravitational wormhole but is small enough to be implemented on today’s quantum hardware”
he said in a statement the senior authorthe teacher Maria Spiropuluof Caltech, who then later added:
“This work is a step towards a larger program of testing the physics of quantum gravity using a quantum computer. It doesn’t replace direct probes of quantum gravity in the same way as other planned experiments that could probe the effects of quantum gravity in the future using quantum sensing, but it offers a powerful testbed for exercising ideas about quantum gravity.”
The team admits that the wormhole representation is approximate, but it’s a step forward in creating ways to study quantum gravity. The researchers intend to build on this, both in terms of the hardware used, and in terms of a better theoretical understanding of the simulated quantum gravity problem.
If you are attracted to science or technology, keep following us, so you don’t miss the latest news and news from around the world!
#Quantum #simulation #wormhole #1st #time
