Qudit quantum computer simulates “pixel” of the electromagnetic vacuum

Researchers at the University of Waterloo’s Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) led by Dr. Christine Muschik and the University of Innsbruck in Austria led by Dr. Martin Ringbauer have performed a quantum simulation of a two-dimensional particle physics theory on a new type of quantum computer. This research achieves for the first time a quantum simulation of a “pixel” of the electromagnetic vacuum. This is accomplished using a novel high-dimensional quantum computer that goes beyond binary qubits using so-called qudits. One pixel is just the beginning, in the future we may be able to simulate thousands of pixels comprising an entire “quantum photograph” of the vacuum and the fundamental particles in it.

See the full details of the research in the Nature Physics paper found here: Nautre Physics 21, 570 (2025)

See the article by Nature on the research results here: Meet ‘qudits’: more complex cousins of qubits boost quantum computing

The phase diagram of quantum chromodynamics in one dimension on a quantum computer

Researchers at University of Waterloo’s Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) have reached a milestone in quantum information science: using a quantum computer to simulate how matter can behave in extreme environments, like the early universe after the big bang. 

The Waterloo team lead by Christine Muschik, includes Abhijit Chakraborty, IQC postdoctoral fellow; Yasar Atas, joint research associate at IQC and Perimeter, and Jinglei Zhang, research associate at IQC. They worked in collaboration with Norbert Linke of the University of Maryland and Duke University, Anton Than, Matthew Diaz, Xingxin Liu, and Alaina Green, also of the Joint Quantum Institute at the University of Maryland, Kalea Wen of the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, and Randy Lewis at York University.

See the full details of the research in the Nature Communications paper found here: The phase diagram of quantum chromodynamics in one dimension on a quantum computer | Nature Communications

About Quantum Interactions

We are a theoretical quantum information science group run by
Prof. Christine Muschik. Working closely with experimental teams, we develop a new generation of quantum protocols and applications.

We focus on

• Hybrid quantum-classical computing
• Quantum simulations
• Quantum sensors
• Quantum networks

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Workshop: QuDits for Quantum Technology 
9+10 July
Institute for Quantum Computing, Waterloo

You can register here:

Register

The program for the event can be found here:

Program

About the workshop:

This workshop focuses on encoding quantum information in more than two states.

The main theme is to go beyond binary encodings: from quBits to quDits, where D > 2.

Now is a very interesting time, as we see a lot of experimental progress and new possibilities in this area. This workshop brings together researchers  – both experimentalists and theorists – to explore quDit-based applications in all areas of quantum technology.

Topics include:

• QuDit algorithms.
• QuDit quantum error correction.
• Quantum simulations with quDits.
• QuDits in quantum networks.
• QuDits in quantum sensing.

We are expecting two exciting days filled with updates and discussions.

Qudit Quantum Computer Simulates a “Pixel” of the Vacuum

The phase diagram of quantum chromodynamics in one dimension on a quantum computer

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