Open-source software to speed up quantum research

Date:
June 20, 2023
Source:
Chalmers University of Technology
Summary:
Quantum technology is expected to fundamentally change many key
areas of society. Researchers are convinced that there are many
more useful quantum properties and applications to explore than
those we know today.

A team of researchers has now developed open-source, freely
available software that will pave the way for new discoveries in
the field and accelerate quantum research significantly.


Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIN Email

==========================================================================
FULL STORY ========================================================================== Quantum technology is expected to fundamentally change many key areas
of society. Researchers are convinced that there are many more useful
quantum properties and applications to explore than those we know today. A
team of researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have
now developed open-source, freely available software that will pave the
way for new discoveries in the field and accelerate quantum research significantly.

Within a few decades, quantum technology is expected to become a
key technology in areas such as health, communication, defence and
energy. The power and potential of the technology lie in the odd and
very special properties of quantum particles. Of particular interest to researchers in the field are the superconducting properties of quantum particles that give components perfect conductivity with unique magnetic properties. These superconducting properties are considered conventional
today and have already paved the way for entirely new technologies used
in applications such as magnetic resonance imaging equipment, maglev
trains and quantum computer components. However, years of research and development remain before a quantum computer can be expected to solve
real computing problems in practice, for example. The research community
is convinced that there are many more revolutionary discoveries to be
made in quantum technology than those we know today.

Open-source code to explore new superconducting properties Basic
research in quantum materials is the foundation of all quantum technology innovation, from the birth of the transistor in 1947, through the laser
in the 1960s to the quantum computers of today. However, experiments
on quantum materials are often very resource-intensive to develop and
conduct, take many years to prepare and mostly produce results that are difficult to interpret.

Now, however, a team of researchers at Chalmers have developed the
open-source software SuperConga, which is free for everyone to use,
and specifically designed to perform advanced simulations and analyses
of quantum components.

The programme operates at the mesoscopic level, which means that it
can carry out simulations that are capable of 'picking up' the strange properties of quantum particles, and also apply them in practice. The open-source code is the first of its kind in the world and is expected
to be able to explore completely new superconducting properties and
eventually pave the way for quantum computers that can use advanced
computing to tackle societal challenges in several areas.

"We are specifically interested in unconventional superconductors,
which are an enigma in terms of how they even work and what their
properties are. We know that they have some desirable properties
that allow quantum information to be protected from interference and fluctuations. Interference is what currently limits us from having
a quantum computer that can be used in practice. And this is where
basic research into quantum materials is crucial if we are to make any progress," says Mikael Fogelstro"m, Professor of Theoretical Physics
at Chalmers.

These new superconductors continue to be highly enigmatic materials --
just as their conventional siblings once were when they were discovered
in a laboratory more than a hundred years ago. After that discovery,
it would be more than 40 years before researchers could describe them
in theory. The Chalmers researchers now hope that their open-source code
can contribute to completely new findings and areas of application.

"We want to find out about all the other exciting properties of
unconventional superconductors. Our software is powerful, educational
and user-friendly, and we hope that it will help generate new
understanding and suggest entirely new applications for these unexplored superconductors," says Patric Holmvall, postdoctoral researcher in
condensed matter physics at Uppsala University.

Desire to make life easier for quantum researchers and students To be able
to explore revolutionary new discoveries, tools are needed that can study
and utilise the extraordinary quantum properties at the minimal particle
level, and can also be scaled up large enough to be used in practice.

Researchers need to work at mesoscopic scale. This lies at the interface between the microscopic scale, i.e. the atomic level at which the quantum properties of the particles can still be utilised, and the macroscopic
scale which measures everyday objects in our world which, unlike quantum particles, are subject to the laws of classical physics. On account of
the software's ability to work at this mesoscopic level, the Chalmers researchers now hope to make life easier for researchers and students
working with quantum physics.

"Extremely simplified models based on either the microscopic or
macroscopic scale are often used at present. This means that they do
not manage to identify all the important physics or that they cannot be
used in practice. With this free software, we want to make it easier for
others to accelerate and improve their quantum research without having
to reinvent the wheel every time," says Tomas Lo"fwander, Professor of
Applied Quantum Physics at Chalmers.

* RELATED_TOPICS
o Computers_&_Math
# Quantum_Computers # Computers_and_Internet #
Spintronics_Research # Software # Encryption # Hacking #
Computer_Science # Computer_Programming
* RELATED_TERMS
o Quantum_entanglement o Quantum_computer o
Quantum_tunnelling o John_von_Neumann o Quantum_dot o
Introduction_to_quantum_mechanics o Quantum_mechanics o
Supercomputer

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by
Chalmers_University_of_Technology. Note: Content may be edited for style
and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. P. Holmvall, N. Wall Wennerdal, M. Haakansson, P. Stadler,
O. Shevtsov,
T. Lo"fwander, M. Fogelstro"m. SuperConga: An open-source framework
for mesoscopic superconductivity. Applied Physics Reviews, 2023;
10 (1): 011317 DOI: 10.1063/5.0100324 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/06/230620113751.htm

--- up 1 year, 16 weeks, 1 day, 10 hours, 50 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3)