INVITED SPEAKER SEMINAR - Efficient Quantum Simulations for Fundamental Physics

Date: Friday, March 7, 2025, from 10:00 a.m. 

Location: EV002.184

Abstract

Particle physics forms the foundation of our understanding of the universe at its most elementary level by describing how matter and forces interact through gauge theories. Yet, despite their unmatched success, the intrinsic quantum mechanical nature of gauge theories makes important problem classes notoriously difficult to address with classical computational techniques. A promising way to overcome these roadblocks is offered by quantum computers, which are based on the same laws that make the classical computations so difficult. This talk will explore how hybrid quantum-classical algorithms and recent advancement in quantum technologies have enabled more efficient simulations of models relevant for particle physics. The co-design of quantum algorithms and quantum hardware plays a crucial role in making these simulations feasible on present-day quantum hardware, paving the way for new techniques that extend beyond particle physics to broader quantum computing applications. No technical background is required for this talk, as it will focus on the key ideas and significance of the research.

Biography

Dr. Jinglei Zhang is a Research Associate at the Institute for Quantum Computing, University of Waterloo (Canada). She completed her doctorate at Aarhus University (Denmark), and studied physics at Scuola Normale Superiore and University of Pisa (Italy). Her research investigates quantum simulations techniques for particle physics, with a particular focus on how to design efficient methods to implement these simulations on present-day quantum hardware. Her work helps advance our understanding of fundamental phenomena in Nature by leveraging quantum computing and developing practical approaches to bridge the gap between theoretical models and experimental realizations.