Quantum Simulators for Fundamental Physics

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Experiments are at the heart of physics: for an idea or theory to be taken seriously, it must stand up to rigorous testing. But some areas of fundamental interest, such as the nature of black holes or the early Universe, do not lend themselves to simple testing in the laboratory. The densities and energies involved are far too high to be reproduced directly. Yet in recent years, major strides have been taken in producing 'simulators' - experimental apparatus that mimics these extreme regimes with sufficient accuracy to confirm some of the most remarkable predictions of Einstein's general relativity. We are now shrinking these experimental analogues to a scale where quantum effects become important. Recent advances in quantum technology will enable us to create quantum simulators that allow us to study some of the most mysterious processes in the Universe.