CAREER: Designing quantum computers and understanding glassy systems using numerical simulations and statistical mechanics

该职业奖支持理论和计算研究和教育，代表了量子计算、玻璃系统、计算物理和教育之间的协同作用。量子计算：允许大规模并行的量子计算机提供了当前计算范式的一个有前途的替代方案。尽管如此，许多实际的挑战仍然存在，例如克服退相干的影响，并表明量子算法在解决广泛问题方面比现有技术更有效。利用无序系统研究的方法，PI将通过了解基于拓扑错误码的新量子存储和处理方案的稳定性，测试器件实现的可行性，以及研究量子优化算法的效率来解决这些问题。考虑到对信息技术的潜在影响，必须从理论、以设备为中心和软件层面更好地理解这些量子计算方案。玻璃系统：许多跨学科的问题可以映射到玻璃系统，例如社会科学中的决策问题或量子计算建议的稳定性。PI的目标是利用新颖的算法来回答这个领域的关键问题。这些包括自旋玻璃在一个领域的行为基础，材料的直接模拟，以及从复杂（社会）网络的决策问题到量子计算的跨学科应用。计算：对于上述科学目标的成功结果的一个关键方面是开发和改进有效的数值算法。PI开发的数值方法可以应用于各种各样的问题。通过将这些算法和数据集以档案形式免费提供，拟议的研究将对跨学科产生广泛的影响。教育：计算方法是实验和理论的基础。然而，目前的物理课程并没有满足这一需求。通过开发一门创新的计算物理课程，将课堂学习与实践研究相结合，PI将解决这个问题。该课程的设计考虑了机构间的组成部分：所有模块都将在网上免费提供。此外，学生将接受现代编程技术和高性能计算机使用方面的培训，这些技能在学术和工业环境中非常有价值。该提案还包括针对西班牙裔少数民族的外展内容，以及吸引中学生和高中生的兴趣。快速、低成本的计算机以及高效算法的出现，使计算物理学成为除了实验和理论之外的第三种强大的研究方法。该职业奖通过使用计算物理学的工具和方法以及开发新的计算工具和方法来支持量子计算提案和玻璃材料的研究。摩尔定律准确地描述了半个世纪以来当前计算机技术的加速发展。然而，量子力学表明，令人兴奋的可能性超出了摩尔定律。一个有希望的替代方案是操纵量子力学状态进行计算。由于量子力学状态的内在并行性，该技术可能远远超过当前技术的性能。该项目的目标是通过研究它们对不同误差源的容忍度，在数值上开发实现量子计算的方法。许多跨学科的问题都可以映射到自旋眼镜上；自旋玻璃是一种磁体，其中原子或分子水平上最小的磁性单位之间的相互作用差异很大，并且在单位之间随机变化。与普通磁体不同，在普通磁体中，所有均匀相互作用的微观磁单元的方向对齐满足磁单元之间的相互作用，相互作用的随机性使得它们难以满足，从而导致一个具有挑战性的计算问题。了解自旋玻璃的性质，以及描述它们的理论图片的局限性，可以导致跨越学科界限的见解。本项目重点回答自旋玻璃领域的基本问题，包括自旋玻璃材料的研究和理论的跨学科应用。PI将开发一门创新的计算物理课程，将课堂作业与实践研究相结合。该课程的设计考虑到机构间的组成部分；所有模块都将在网上免费提供。此外，学生将接受现代编程技术和高性能计算机使用方面的培训，这些技能在学术和工业环境中非常有价值。该提案还包括针对西班牙裔少数民族的外展内容，以及吸引中学生和高中生的兴趣。

TECHNICAL SUMMARYThis CAREER award supports theoretical and computational research and education that represents a synergy among quantum computing, glassy systems, computational physics and education. The research and education foci are:Quantum Computing: A promising alternative to current computing paradigms is given by quantum computers that allow for massive parallelism. Nonetheless, many practical challenges remain, such as overcoming the effects of decoherence and showing that quantum algorithms are more efficient than current technologies in solving a broad range of problems. Using methods from the study of disordered systems, the PI will address these problems by understanding the stability of new quantum storage and processing schemes based on topological error codes to different error sources, testing the feasibility of device implementations, and studying the efficiency of quantum optimization algorithms. Given the potential impact on information technology, it is imperative to better understand these quantum computing schemes on theoretical, device-centered, and software levels.Glassy systems: Many problems across disciplines can be mapped onto glassy systems, for example decision problems in social sciences or the stability of proposals for quantum computing. The PI aims to capitalize on novel algorithms to answer key questions in this area. These include the fundamentals of the behavior of spin glasses in a field, direct simulation of materials, and interdisciplinary applications ranging from decision problems on complex (social) networks to quantum computing.Computation: A crucial aspect for the successful outcome of the aforementioned scientific goals is the development and improvement of efficient numerical algorithms. The numerical methods developed by the PI can be applied to a wide variety of problems. By making these algorithms and data sets freely available in an archival fashion the proposed research will have a broad impact across disciplines.Education: Computational methods are fundamental for both experiment and theory. However, current physics curricula do not address this need. By developing an innovative computational physics course that combines class work with hands-on research, the PI will address this issue. The course is designed with an inter-institutional component in mind: all modules will be freely available online. Furthermore, students will be trained in modern programming techniques and the use of high-performance computers, skills that are extremely valuable in academic and industrial settings. The proposal also includes an outreach component aimed at Hispanic minorities, as well as engaging the interest of middle and high-school students.NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARYThe advent of fast and cost-effective computers as well as efficient algorithms has made computational physics into a powerful third way, besides experiment and theory, to do research. This CAREER award supports the study of quantum computing proposals and glassy materials by using tools and methods from computational physics and developing new computational tools and methods. Moore's law has accurately described the speedup of current computer technologies for half a century. However, quantum mechanics suggests exciting possibilities lie beyond Moore's law. A promising alternative is the manipulation of quantum mechanical states for computation. This technique may far surpass the performance of current technologies due to the intrinsic parallelism of quantum mechanical states. A goal of this project is to numerically develop proposed ways to achieve quantum computing by studying their tolerance to different error sources. Many problems across disciplines can be mapped onto spin glasses; a spin glass is a type of magnet in which interactions among the smallest magnetic units at the atomic or molecular level differ significantly and are vary randomly from unit to unit. Unlike an ordinary magnet in which aligning the directions of all the uniformly interacting microscopic magnetic units satisfies the interactions among the magnetic units, the random nature of the interactions makes them difficult to satisfy leading to a challenging computational problem. Understanding the properties of spin glasses, as well as limitations of theoretical pictures describing them can lead to insights across disciplinary boundaries. This project focuses on answering fundamental questions in the field of spin glasses, including the study of spin-glass materials and interdisciplinary applications of the theory.The PI will develop an innovative computational physics course that combines class work with hands-on research. The course is designed with an inter-institutional component in mind; all modules will be freely available online. Furthermore, students will be trained in modern programming techniques and the use of high-performance computers, skills that are extremely valuable in academic and industrial settings. The proposal also includes an outreach component aimed at Hispanic minorities, as well as engaging the interest of middle and high-school students.