Simulation of Multi-Component Fermionic Quantum Matter Using Oxide Nanoelectronics

该项目旨在建造一种新型量子模拟器，即模拟量子计算机，其中电子之间的可调相互作用将用于模拟致密核物质并探测其量子特性。中子和质子是原子核的基本组成部分，它们由称为夸克的基本粒子的束缚态组成。中子由一个上夸克和两个下夸克组成，而质子由两个上夸克和一个下夸克组成。当大恒星燃烧殆尽时，它们往往会爆炸成超新星。它们残骸的命运取决于原始恒星的大小。大型恒星的残骸倾向于坍缩成称为中子星的超密度物体，非常大的恒星被认为会坍缩成称为“夸克”星的密度更大的物体，超大型恒星会坍缩成黑洞。为了给人一种规模感，中子星通常半径只有10公里，但质量为10-30个太阳。假设中子星是由超流体状态的中子汤组成;中子的量子简并压力平衡了巨大的引力，防止中子星进一步坍缩。对于非常大的恒星，引力将中子粉碎成它们的组成夸克，而夸克的量子简并压力阻止了夸克星的坍缩。然而，像中子星和夸克星那样的致密核物质的性质在很大程度上是未知的。该项目将试图通过用固态系统模拟致密核物质来揭开其中的一些谜团。了解多组分费米子系统是一个交叉领域的调查与核物理，中子星物理学的影响，以及更传统的凝聚态系统。在过去，研究小组已经证明了两种复合氧化物LaAlO 3和SrTiO 3之间的界面具有许多有趣的特性：（a）界面处的电子密度可以通过STM光刻重新配置，（B）电子-电子相互作用可以通过控制电子密度来调整，以及（c）可以形成两个和三个电子的束缚态。下一步，研究人员将联合收割机结合这些特性，以构建一个可重构的多费米子束缚态量子模拟器。精通这类问题将是开发更通用的“通用”量子模拟器的里程碑，可以广泛地促进对量子物质性质的理解和开发新型量子材料。该项目由物理系量子信息科学项目和材料研究系凝聚态物理项目联合支持。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值进行评估而被认为值得支持。和更广泛的影响审查标准。

The project is aimed at the construction of a new kind of quantum simulator, an analogue quantum computer, in which tunable interactions between electrons will be used to simulate dense nuclear matter and probe its quantum properties. Neutrons and protons, the building blocks of atomic nuclei, consist of bound states of elementary particles called quarks. The neutron is made up of an "up" quark and two "down" quarks, while the proton of two "up" quarks and a "down" quark. When large stars burn out, they tend to explode in supernovae. The fate of their remains depends on the size of the original stars. Remains of large stars tend to collapse into super-dense objects called neutron stars, very large stars are believed to collapse into even denser objects called "quark" stars, and the super-large stars collapse into black holes. To give a sense of scale, neutron stars typically have a radius on the order of only 10 kilometers but a mass of 10-30 suns. It is hypothesized that neutron stars consist of a soup of neutrons in a superfluid state; the quantum degeneracy pressure of the neutrons balances the huge gravitational forces preventing neutron stars from collapsing further. For very large stars, the gravitational forces smash the neutrons into their constituent quarks, and it is the quantum degeneracy pressure of quarks that prevents quark stars from collapsing. However, the properties of dense nuclear matter, like that found in neutron and quark stars, are largely unknown. This project will attempt to uncover some of these mysteries by simulating dense nuclear matter with a solid-state system. Understanding multi-component fermionic systems is a cross-cutting area of inquiry with implications in nuclear physics, physics of neutron stars, as well as more conventional condensed matter systems. In the past, the research team has demonstrated that the interface between two complex oxides LaAlO3 and SrTiO3 has a number of interesting properties: (a) the electron density at the interface is reconfigurable by STM lithography, (b) electron-electron interactions can be tuned by controlling the electron density, and (c) it is possible to form bound states of two and three electrons. In the next step, the researchers will combine these properties in order to build a reconfigurable quantum simulator for multi-fermion bound states. Proficiency in this class of problems would be a milestone in the development of a more general "universal" quantum simulator that can broadly contribute to understanding of the nature of quantum matter and developing novel quantum materials. The project is jointly supported by the Quantum Information Science Program in the Physics Division and by the Condensed Matter Physics Program in the Division of Materials Research.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.