Many-body quantum simulations with long ion strings

Recent progress in analog quantum simulation has showcased several intriguing proof-of-principle demonstrations of entanglement-driven phenomena. In particular, studies have focused on the many-body dynamics of interacting spin models, the entanglement structure of ground and excited states, and the thermalization of isolated quantum systems under unitary dynamics. Along these exciting research directions in quantum simulation, I will present results obtained using a trapped-ion quantum simulator. I will show how large-scale entanglement in engineered quantum states reflects decades-old predictions from quantum field theory proposed by Bisognano and Wichmann [1]. In addition, I will discuss results on symmetry restoration in an isolated quantum system undergoing near-unitary dynamics. By leveraging randomized measurements and classical shadows, we demonstrate how a quantum state that initially exhibits broken symmetry can restore that symmetry under guided Hamiltonian evolution. Notably, we find that the timescale of symmetry restoration depends on the initial degree of asymmetry in the input quantum states [2]. As an outlook, I will present future research directions using a neutral-atom quantum architecture assembled from individually controlled dysprosium atoms.

[1] M. K. Joshi, et al. "Exploring large-scale entanglement in quantum simulation." Nature 624, 539-544 (2023).
[2] L. K. Joshi, et al. "Observing the quantum Mpemba effect in quantum simulations." Physical Review Letters 133, 010402 (2024).

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