Project description
Noisy quantum simulators for many-body problems in physics
Analogue quantum simulation protocols use quantum hardware to address many-body problems without the need for error correction. However, their accuracy and advantages over classical computers remain uncertain. The ERC-funded ToNQS project aims to explore the accuracy of analogue quantum simulations for many-body problems in physics. It will establish bounds on deviations in noisy quantum simulator outputs, creating an accuracy certificate. This will help identify reliable problems where errors do not scale with size, despite the possibility that such problems may be classically easy to solve. The project will integrate concepts from quantum optics, many-body physics, and complexity theory to determine whether stable issues are also complex for classical computers, ultimately assessing the advantages of noisy quantum simulators.
Objective
Analog quantum simulation protocols, which aim to use quantum hardware without performing error correction to solve large quantum many-body problems, have emerged as a near-term as well as experimentally accessible alternative to a building a fault tolerant quantum computer for these problems. However, from a theoretical standpoint, whether analog simulators can be trusted to provide accurate results for large quantum many-body problems and if they provide an advantage over classical computers remains a largely unsolved problem. In ToNQS, I aim to rigorously understand the accuracy of analog quantum simulation of many-body problems in both low-energy and high-energy physics. I will do so by developing mathematically rigorous upper bounds on the deviation of the output of a noisy quantum simulator from the target observables which will then serve as an accuracy certificate for the quantum simulator.
With this accuracy certificate, I will identify problems that can be reliably solved on quantum simulators – these will problems where the error in the noisy simulator output not grow with the problem size, and thus can be solved for large system sizes in the presence of noise. However, it is possible that problems that are stable are also classically easy and analog quantum simulators are incapable of providing speedups over classical computers while being accurate. In ToNQS, I will then aim to investigate if there is complexity-theoretic evidence for stable problems to also be hard for classical computers.
This project will bring together ideas from different sub-areas of my expertise – quantum optics, many-body physics, quantum information and quantum complexity theory. If successful, this project would provide an end-to-end theoretical framework to identify problems for which a noisy quantum simulator can be trusted and reason about its quantum advantage for these problems, thus resolving a major theoretical objection to analog simulators as computational devices.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering electronic engineering computer hardware quantum computers
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2025-STG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
80539 MUNCHEN
Germany
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