01709nas a2200241 4500008004100000245007100041210006900112260001500181520103600196100001501232700002101247700001801268700001801286700002501304700001301329700001401342700001201356700001501368700001701383700001401400700001601414856003701430 2019 eng d00aProgrammable Quantum Simulations of Spin Systems with Trapped Ions0 aProgrammable Quantum Simulations of Spin Systems with Trapped Io c12/17/20193 a

Laser-cooled and trapped atomic ions form an ideal standard for the simulation of interacting quantum spin models. Effective spins are represented by appropriate internal energy levels within each ion, and the spins can be measured with near-perfect efficiency using state-dependent fluorescence techniques. By applying optical fields that exert optical dipole forces on the ions, their Coulomb interaction can be modulated in ways that give rise to long-range and tunable spin-spin interactions that can be reconfigured by shaping the spectrum and pattern of the laser fields. Here we review the theoretical mapping of atomic ions to interacting spin systems, the experimental preparation of complex equilibrium states, and the study of dynamical processes of this many-body interacting quantum system. The use of such quantum simulators for studying spin models may inform our understanding of exotic quantum materials and shed light on interacting quantum systems that cannot be modeled with conventional computers. 

1 aMonroe, C.1 aCampbell, W., C.1 aDuan, L., -M.1 aGong, Z., -X.1 aGorshkov, Alexey, V.1 aHess, P.1 aIslam, R.1 aKim, K.1 aPagano, G.1 aRicherme, P.1 aSenko, C.1 aYao, N., Y. uhttps://arxiv.org/abs/1912.0784501952nas a2200229 4500008004100000245009200041210006900133260001500202300001200217490000800229520128300237100001401520700001501534700001701549700002001566700001501586700001501601700002501616700001801641700001501659856004801674 2017 eng d00aObservation of a Many-Body Dynamical Phase Transition with a 53-Qubit Quantum Simulator0 aObservation of a ManyBody Dynamical Phase Transition with a 53Qu c2017/11/29 a601-6040 v5513 a

A quantum simulator is a restricted class of quantum computer that controls the interactions between quantum bits in a way that can be mapped to certain difficult quantum many-body problems. As more control is exerted over larger numbers of qubits, the simulator can tackle a wider range of problems, with the ultimate limit being a universal quantum computer that can solve general classes of hard problems. We use a quantum simulator composed of up to 53 qubits to study a non-equilibrium phase transition in the transverse field Ising model of magnetism, in a regime where conventional statistical mechanics does not apply. The qubits are represented by trapped ion spins that can be prepared in a variety of initial pure states. We apply a global long-range Ising interaction with controllable strength and range, and measure each individual qubit with near 99% efficiency. This allows the single-shot measurement of arbitrary many-body correlations for the direct probing of the dynamical phase transition and the uncovering of computationally intractable features that rely on the long-range interactions and high connectivity between the qubits.

1 aZhang, J.1 aPagano, G.1 aHess, P., W.1 aKyprianidis, A.1 aBecker, P.1 aKaplan, H.1 aGorshkov, Alexey, V.1 aGong, Z., -X.1 aMonroe, C. uhttps://www.nature.com/articles/nature2465402050nas a2200205 4500008004100000245008900041210006900130260001500199520143900214100001801653700001401671700001601685700001401701700001701715700001701732700001801749700002501767700001501792856003701807 2016 eng d00a{O}bservation of {P}rethermalization in {L}ong-{R}ange {I}nteracting {S}pin {C}hains0 aO bservation of P rethermalization in L ong R ange I nteracting  c2016/08/023 a

Statistical mechanics can predict thermal equilibrium states for most classical systems, but for an isolated quantum system there is no general understanding on how equilibrium states dynamically emerge from the microscopic Hamiltonian. For instance, quantum systems that are near-integrable usually fail to thermalize in an experimentally realistic time scale and, instead, relax to quasi-stationary prethermal states that can be described by statistical mechanics when approximately conserved quantities are appropriately included in a generalized Gibbs ensemble (GGE). Here we experimentally study the relaxation dynamics of a chain of up to 22 spins evolving under a long-range transverse field Ising Hamiltonian following a sudden quench. For sufficiently long-ranged interactions the system relaxes to a new type of prethermal state that retains a strong memory of the initial conditions. In this case, the prethermal state cannot be described by a GGE, but rather arises from an emergent double-well potential felt by the spin excitations. This result shows that prethermalization occurs in a significantly broader context than previously thought, and reveals new challenges for a generic understanding of the thermalization of quantum systems, particularly in the presence of long-range interactions.

1 aNeyenhuis, B.1 aSmith, J.1 aLee, A., C.1 aZhang, J.1 aRicherme, P.1 aHess, P., W.1 aGong, Z., -X.1 aGorshkov, Alexey, V.1 aMonroe, C. uhttps://arxiv.org/abs/1608.00681