Simulating Quantum Fields with Cavity QED

Understand

As the realization of a fully operational quantum computer remains distant, quantum simulation, whereby one quantum system is engineered to simulate another, becomes a key goal of great practical importance.

• Here we report on a variational method exploiting the natural physics of cavity QED architectures to simulate strongly interacting quantum fields.
• Our scheme is broadly applicable to any architecture involving tunable and strongly nonlinear interactions with light; as an example, we demonstrate that existing cavity devices could simulate models of strongly interacting bosons.
• The scheme can be extended to simulate systems of entangled multicomponent fields, beyond the reach of existing classical simulation methods.