Cited by 2,932Cold Atom Physics and Bose-Einstein CondensatesQuantum Computing Algorithms and ArchitectureQuantum many-body systems

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 392 of the 398 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; none of the 172 sources its claims cite is checked for support yet.

Quantum simulation

Open access
Georgescu, I. M., Ashhab, S., Nori, Franco·2014·Reviews of Modern Physics

Abstract

Simulating quantum mechanics is known to be a difficult computational problem, especially when dealing with large systems. However, this difficulty may be overcome by using some controllable quantum system to study another less controllable or accessible quantum system, i.e., quantum simulation. Quantum simulation promises to have applications in the study of many problems in, e.g., condensed-matter physics, high-energy physics, atomic physics, quantum chemistry, and cosmology. Quantum simulation could be implemented using quantum computers, but also with simpler, analog devices that would require less control, and therefore, would be easier to construct. A number of quantum systems such as neutral atoms, ions, polar molecules, electrons in semiconductors, superconducting circuits, nuclear spins, and photons have been proposed as quantum simulators. This review outlines the main theoretical and experimental aspects of quantum simulation and emphasizes some of the challenges and promises of this fast-growing field.

Overview

AI snapshot

Written from the paper’s full text.

TL;DR

This review surveys quantum simulation—using controllable quantum systems to emulate less accessible quantum systems—covering digital and analog approaches, physical platforms, resource requirements, and applications. It argues that practical quantum simulators may be realized before full-scale quantum computers, with neutral atoms in optical lattices and trapped ions currently among the most advanced platforms.

Key findings

  • Classical simulation of quantum systems scales exponentially: representing the state of 40 spin-1/2 particles requires \(2^{40} \approx 10^{12}\) numbers, about \(3.2 \times 10^{13}\) bits or 4 TB in single precision, while 80 spins would require about \(3.8 \times 10^{25}\) bits.
  • Quantum simulators can store this information more compactly: the state of 40 spin-1/2 particles that needs a 4 TB classical register can be represented by a 40-qubit register.
  • Resource estimates for digital quantum simulation (DQS) of chemical dynamics suggest that outperforming current classical computers would require at least 100 qubits and over 200,000 quantum gates per step; for molecular hydrogen, a precision of \(\pm 10^{-4} E_h\) was achieved with about 522 gates.
  • Experimentally, the most advanced DQS has been realized with trapped ions, simulating spin models with up to six spins and one experiment requiring sequences of more than 100 quantum gates; neutral atoms in optical lattices are described as the most advanced platform for analog quantum simulation (AQS), with hundreds of ions used in a two-dimensional ion array for a spin-system simulation.

Methods

  • This is a review article, not a primary experimental or theoretical study; it synthesizes theoretical and experimental literature on quantum simulation.
  • It organizes the field into digital quantum simulation, analog quantum simulation, and quantum-information-inspired classical algorithms, and discusses resource estimation, fault tolerance, physical realizations, and applications.
  • The paper reviews platforms including neutral atoms, trapped ions, polar molecules, nuclear and electronic spins, superconducting circuits, photons, and other systems, with applications in condensed-matter physics, high-energy physics, cosmology, atomic physics, quantum chemistry, open quantum systems, nuclear physics, and interferometry.

Limitations

  • The paper states that given the breadth of topics, not all technical details can be provided and directs readers to references; it also notes that initial-state preparation and measurement in AQS have not been thoroughly discussed in the literature.
  • The paper states that resource estimation for AQS has not received much work, and that decoherence and errors in quantum simulation require further study, especially for each physical implementation.
  • Evident from the text: as a broad review, it does not present a systematic meta-analysis or new primary data, and its performance comparisons rely on cited proposals and experiments rather than a unified benchmark.

Model-written summary. Check it against the paper before relying on it.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1103/revmodphys.86.153

Cites

392 of 392 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Nothing to recompute.

Verification

Claims the paper makes

0 of 172 cited sources checked · 0 supported · 0 flagged

Show all 105 claims

  • Probably not a substantial claim. 96
  • It may state two separate claims as one. 54
130 of 130
  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    The Hamiltonian can be written as a sum of many terms that describe local interactions.

    “We assume that the Hamiltonian can be written as a sum of many terms that describe local interactions:”
  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    There is no restriction in applying one- and two-qubit gates and all qubits of the simulator can be individually addressed and measured.

    “Furthermore, it is usually assumed that there is no restriction in applying one- and two-qubit gates and that all qubits of the simulator can be individually addressed and measured.”
  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    The simulated system and its simulator are very similar.

    “Because the system and simulator are presumed to be very similar”
  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    The Lamb-Dicke parameter η is small.

    “η is the Lamb-Dicke parameter (which is assumed to be small here)”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Initial-state preparation and measurement in AQS have not been thoroughly discussed in the literature.

    “The initial-state preparation and measurement in AQS have not been thoroughly discussed in the literature.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Less attention has been paid in the literature to the scaling of required resources with desired accuracy than to scaling with system size.

    “Compared with the studies on scaling with the system size, less attention has been paid in the literature to the scaling of required resources with desired accuracy.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    There has not been much work in the literature on resource estimation for AQS.

    “There has not been much work in the literature on resource estimation for AQS.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    So far there are few studies investigating how the simulator's imperfections affect the quantum simulation.

    “So far there are few studies investigating how the simulator's imperfections affect the quantum simulation”
  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    The Hamiltonian given for N charge or flux qubits biased at their symmetry points and coupled capacitively or inductively is valid for describing superconducting-circuit quantum simulators.

    “The Hamiltonian for N charge (flux) qubits biased at their symmetry points (which is optimal for quantum coherence) coupled capacitively (inductively) is:”
  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    The Hubbard Hamiltonian given is valid for describing the Fermi-Hubbard model.

    “In (Somma et al. , 2002) it was shown how to obtain the energy spectrum of the Fermi-Hubbard Hamiltonian:”
  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    The spin Hamiltonian form given is valid for describing spin systems.

    “Spin systems are typically described by Hamiltonians of the form”
  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    The quantum Ising model Hamiltonian given is valid for describing the trapped-ion quantum magnet simulation.

    “The system is described by the quantum Ising model. The Hamiltonian for a chain (with two or more spins) is given by”
  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    The Fano-Anderson Hamiltonian given is valid for describing the fermionic Fano-Anderson model.

    “The Fano-Anderson Hamiltonian can be written as follows:”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Current theoretical and experimental progress in quantum simulation will continue at a pace sufficient to build practical quantum simulators in the near future.

    “Recent theoretical and experimental results on quantum simulation lead us to believe that practical quantum simulators will be built in the near future.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Zitterbewegung has never been observed in its original form with free relativistic particles.

    “Zitterbewegung has never been observed in its original form with free relativistic particles”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The simulation of gauge theories is a very computationally intensive quantum many-body problem.

    “The simulation of gauge theories can be a very computationally intensive quantum many-body problem”
16 of 16

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

Each contradiction between two passages listed here was confirmed by an independent check.

  • Claim that only neutral atoms simulate more than a few particles conflicts with ion result

    Major

    The review says only neutral atoms in an optical lattice can currently simulate more than a few particles, but elsewhere reports a trapped-ion simulation with hundreds of ions.

  • Stated inter-qubit distance range excludes the stated ion distances

    Minor

    Figure 16 gives ion separations of 10-50 μm, then summarizes the inter-qubit distances as ranging only from 0.1 to 10 μm.

2 of 2

Citations

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

Show all 398 references

6 of the 398 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 4

  1. Aaronson, S., 2011, Proceedings of the 43rd Annual ACM Symposium on Theory of Computing
  2. Manin, Y., 1980, Computable and Uncomputable
  3. Porras, D., 2005, Laser Phys., 15, 88
  4. 10.1007/s11128-011-0303-5 · DOI

Cited by

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Metadata

Authors
Georgescu, I. M., Ashhab, S., & Nori, F.
Affiliations
RIKEN (JP)
Venue
Reviews of Modern Physics
Published
2014-03-10
Volume
86
Issue
1
Pages
153-185
ISSN
  • 0034-6861 (ISSN-L)
  • 1539-0756
OpenAlex
W3037443854
Cited by
2,932
References
398
Citations by year
2026: 195 · 2025: 320 · 2024: 324 · 2023: 313 · 2022: 302 · 2021: 308 · 2020: 242 · 2019: 243 · 2018: 197 · 2017: 145 · 2016: 146 · 2015: 119 · 2014: 58
FWCI
77.73
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Reviews of Modern Physics (publishedVersion)
  • arXiv (Cornell University) (submittedVersion)
  • arXiv (Cornell University)
Funders
Army Research Office
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics › Cold Atom Physics and Bose-Einstein Condensates
  • Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Artificial Intelligence › Quantum Computing Algorithms and Architecture
  • Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics › Quantum many-body systems
Keywords
quantum simulation, quantum simulators, quantum computing hardware, analog quantum simulation, quantum many-body systems, trapped ions, neutral atoms, polar molecules, superconducting circuits, nuclear spin, quantum chemistry, condensed matter physics

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