QII-TAQS: Chip-Scale Quantum Emulators Based on Polaritonic Lattices

量子模拟器(模拟器)用于使用可控制的量子系统来模拟计算复杂且在实验上无法解决的问题。这样的模拟器是一种特定于任务的设备，它模拟感兴趣的系统的物理行为，在计算上很难建模，或者在实验上很难实现。已经提出了不同的模拟器平台，如光学晶格中的冷原子、量子纳米结构、超导电路和钻石中的缺陷，并部分实现了这些平台。在这项研究计划下，该团队将采取一种独特的方法，基于半轻半物质准粒子(又名。激子-极化激子)作为实现芯片级量子仿真器的“可编程量子物质”平台。具体地说，研究人员将使用有机分子系统与光捕获结构相结合来模拟准晶中从磁性到电子传输的各种系统。这种体系结构依赖于光子学和固态物理学的最新进展，还可以用来解决从蛋白质折叠和神经网络到金融市场动态等各种难以计算的问题。该项目将帮助培养一批在广泛的量子技术领域的研究生和本科生以及博士后助理。该项目还将受益于强大的国际合作伙伴关系。外展工作将侧重于开发高中课程，介绍量子技术的概念和旨在让公众了解量子技术的公共活动。量子模拟器利用相互作用自由度的控制来模拟在经典计算机无法达到的多体系统中出现的物质的复杂量子相。通过这项研究计划，该团队的目标是开发一种基于激子-极化子(强耦合半光半物质准粒子)晶格的芯片级量子仿真器平台。这个模拟量子仿真平台将利用晶格中的激子-极化子凝聚，这是更广泛的原子-晶格方法的替代方案。由于它们的混合特性，光子组件赋予系统小质量、连贯性和设计势能景观的能力，而物质组件提供必要的非线性和可按需控制的相互作用。该研究计划将有机分子体系中的激子作为材料成分，呈现出独特的优势，如提高操作温度，可调谐，以及通过分子设计来设计光学性质的可能性。通过对光子能带结构的精心设计，可以实现具有复杂能带结构的极化晶格。此外，激子极化子凝聚体本质上是一个受驱动的耗散系统，为模拟和揭示非平衡量子有序提供了一个理想的平台。具体的计划目标包括展示具有受控相互作用的激子极化子凝聚晶格，以模拟：(I)一维极化子晶格中的铁磁性和反铁磁性，(Ii)准周期晶格中无序保护的非平衡量子秩序，以及(Iii)具有工程手征对称的二维晶格中的拓扑保护态。该项目由量子飞跃大想法计划和国际科学与工程办公室联合资助。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Quantum simulators (emulators) are used to simulate computationally complex and experimentally inaccessible problems using a controllable quantum system. Such a simulator is a task-specific device that mimics the physical behavior of a system of interest that is computationally hard to model or experimentally difficult to realize. Different platforms for simulators, such as cold atoms in an optical lattice, quantum nanostructures, superconducting circuits, and defects in diamond, have been proposed and some partially realized. Under this research program the team will take a distinct approach based on half-light half-matter quasiparticles (a.k.a. exciton-polaritons) as a "programmable quantum matter" platform to realize chip-scale quantum emulators. Specifically, the researchers will use organic molecular systems combined with light-trapping structures to simulate systems ranging from magnetism to electron transport in quasicrystals. This architecture, which relies on the latest advances in photonics and solid-states physics, can also be leveraged to solve diverse computationally intractable problems from protein folding and neural networks to the dynamics of financial markets. The program will help train a cadre of graduate and undergraduate students and postdoctoral associates in the broad area of quantum technologies. The program will also benefit from strong international partnerships. Outreach efforts will focus on developing a high school curriculum to introduce concepts of quantum technologies and public events targeted at making the public aware of quantum technologies. Quantum emulators leverage the control of interacting degrees of freedom to simulate complex quantum phases of matter arising in many-body systems that are outside the reach of classical computers. Through this research program the team aims to develop a chip-scale quantum emulator platform based on lattices of exciton-polaritons (strongly coupled half-light half-matter quasiparticles). This platform for analog quantum emulation will exploit exciton-polariton condensates in lattices, an alternative to more widespread atom-lattice approaches. Owing to their hybrid character, the photon component lends the system small mass, coherence, and ability to engineer the potential energy landscape, while the matter component provides the necessary nonlinearity and interactions that can be controlled on demand. The research program will use excitons in organic molecular systems as the material component, which presents unique advantages such as elevated operational temperature, tunability, and the possibility to engineer the optical properties through molecular design. Through careful engineering of the photonic band structure, polariton lattices with complex band-structures will be realized. Additionally, exciton polariton condensates, being intrinsically a driven dissipative system, present an ideal platform to emulate and uncover out-of-equilibrium quantum orders. Specific program goals include the demonstration of exciton polariton condensate lattices with controlled interactions to simulate: (i) ferromagnetism and anti-ferromagnetism in a one-dimensional polariton lattice, (ii) disorder protected non-equilibrium quantum orders in quasiperiodic lattices, and (iii) topologically protected states in two-dimensional lattices with engineered chiral symmetries.This project is jointly funded by the Quantum Leap Big Idea Program and the Office of International Science and Engineering.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.