Masterclass: Quantum Simulation

 

 

Copenhagen, 19 to 23 August 2024

One of the original motivations for the concept of a quantum computer was to study the dynamics of quantum systems. While quantum computation has broadened in many directions, quantum simulation is still at the core of quantum information science. First of all, simulation of quantum mechanical systems as they occur in chemistry and many-body physics is of great practical interest and is seen as one of the most promising applications of quantum computation. On the other hand, understanding quantum Hamiltonians and time evolutions through a computational lens also provides important theoretical insights in many-body physics. In this masterclass, experts will give in-depth lectures on various aspects of the theory of quantum simulation. Topics covered will range over (a selection of) the following domains:

Quantum algorithms for quantum simulation: Given a Hamiltonian describing a physical system of interest, one would like to implement time evolution along this Hamiltonian on a digital quantum computer. The last decade has seen significant improvement in the algorithms for doing so. Improved algorithms for time evolution are also crucial for ground state energy estimation protocols based on phase estimation.

The theory of analog quantum simulation: Instead of using digital quantum computers (using some gate set), in the near future it may be more useful to directly simulate Hamiltonians of interest by tuning parameters of some controllable quantum system. This leads to a theory of studying which Hamiltonians are capable of simulating a given Hamiltonian of interest.

Hamiltonian complexity theory: Hamiltonian complexity theory aims to understand the computational complexity of simulation tasks (both ground state energies and time evolution) for classes of Hamiltonians.

Target audience

This master class will be of interest for PhD students and advanced master students in mathematics, physics or computer science. It should serve as a way of entering the broad and vibrant field of quantum simulation. The masterclass will consist of blackboard lectures, giving an introduction in the mathematical theory of quantum simulation. The emphasis is on theoretical rather than practical aspects.

There will be a poster session, where all participants have the opportunity to present their research.

It is not required to have in-depth previous knowledge about quantum simulation. We do expect that students have basic knowledge about quantum computation (say at the level of Nielsen and Chuang) and (vaguely) know what a Hamiltonian is. Don't hesitate to get in touch with the organizers if you have questions!

Location

The master class will take place at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Copenhagen is a beautiful harbor city, famous for being among the safest and most enjoyable places to live in the world.
Participants of the master class will have the opportunity to explore the city from the water during an excursion. August is the second warmest month of the year in Copenhagen with about 14 hours of daylight.