According to recently published research, Google's
quantum computer was used to create a "time crystal," a novel phase
of matter that defies the fundamental rules of thermodynamics. Contrary to what
the name might imply, the new development will not enable Google to create a
time machine.
In 2012, the concept of time crystals—systems that
perpetually deviate from equilibrium—was first put forth. Time crystals are
stable, yet the atoms that make them up are constantly evolving, in contrast to
other phases of matter that are in thermal equilibrium.
Scientists have differed on whether such a thing was
truly feasible in reality, but that has been the hypothesis at least. With
examples of some that partially - but not entirely - fit all the pertinent
conditions, various levels of time crystals that might or could not be formed
have been discussed. In a recent research preprint, physicists from Stanford,
Princeton, and other universities make the assertion that Google's quantum
computer project has accomplished what many thought was impossible. Preprints
are early copies of academic publications that are released before peer review
and full publication; as a result, their conclusions may be contested or even
fully disproved at that time.
Our research uses a time-reversal technique to
distinguish between internal thermalization and external decoherence, and it
makes use of quantum typicality to avoid the exponential cost of intensively
sampling the eigenspectrum. "In addition, using an experimental
finite-size analysis, we pinpoint the phase change away from the DTC. These
findings lay the groundwork for a scaleable method to investigate
non-equilibrium phases of matter on modern quantum processors.
If that completely escaped your understanding,
you're probably not the only one. According to Quanta Magazine, the time
crystal essentially consists of three fundamental components. A row of
magnetically oriented particles is first locked into a combination of low- and
high-energy configurations. An example of a "many-body localization"
is that.
Eigenstate order is the process of flipping each of
those particles' orientations, effectively producing a mirror image. It
resembles a secondary many-body localised state in reality.
Laser light application is the last step. As a
result, the states cycle from normal to mirrored and back again, although this
does not really consume any of the laser's net energy. A Floquet time crystal,
first proposed in 2016, is the result.
Sycamore, Google's quantum computer, was able to
employ a device with 20 of its controlled quantum particles, or qubits, each of
which can hold two states concurrently. The researchers were able to randomise
the interactions and accomplish many-body localization by adjusting the
strength of the interactions between the individual quibits. The particles were
subsequently turned over by microwaves into their mirror configuration, but
without the spin change consuming any of the laser's own energy.
It's unclear how exactly that affects theoretical
studies and potential time crystal applications. The researchers' key
conclusion at this time is that there is "a scalable approach to study
non-equilibrium phases of matter using present quantum processors"; to put
it another way, it shows that quantum computers could at least be useful for
some tasks.
Finding a use for quantum computers and the
voluminous amount of theory that surrounds them has proven to be a challenge
for businesses researching the technology. Google made some bold claims earlier
this year about what its quantum project could accomplish, pointing to
prospective consequences from such research as better batteries, more potent
medications and vaccinations, and more potent fertilisers. The company claims
to be working on a 1,000,000 physical qubit quantum computer as part of that,
while it acknowledged it would take years to even grasp how that would be
built.
Reference: arxiv
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