Convergence Accelerator Phase I: Workshop: Architectures and Opportunities in Programmable Quantum Simulators

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This workshop will be organized in Fall 2019 and will bring together key stakeholders from academia and industry. The participants will discuss current challenges in Quantum Simulations, opportunities to overcome those challenges, and will map out a path forward to enable near-term progress. The specific aim of the workshop is to identify realistic deliverables in the area of Quantum Simulations, including: i) Prototypes that could be developed in the next 2-5 years, and ii) Testbeds needed to evaluate them in the following 5 years.Unlike digital quantum computers, programmable quantum simulators (PQS) have already surpassed the ability of classical computers to solve quantum problems on many fronts. Indeed, at this juncture the exploration on PQS of non-equilibrium phenomena, many-body decoherence, and the foundations of quantum statistical mechanics has led to the notion of "information as fuel" with a nanothermodynamical revolution presently in progress. Thus, PQS not only allow exploration of fundamental physics questions and materials design, but also are inspiring new kinds of devices and applications. Beyond work done so far, PQS offer us a new opportunity to address deep unanswered questions in open quantum systems far from equilibrium, quantum complex networks, lattice gauge theory, and many other areas of physics, such as the quark-gluon plasma and the interior of neutron stars.The White Paper produced by this workshop will help guide research and investment in PQS US industry and government agencies such as NSF. Students reading this White Paper will have a quick and clear understanding of the scope of the field. At the present time, digital quantum computers are often in the press while the understanding of PQS is not widespread beyond people in the field. This workshop will help expand the understanding of PQS and quantum information science more generally to physics students and physics professionals from many subfields, to STEM professionals, and to the wider public.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.