CAREER: Active Feedback to Control Dynamic Quantum Phases

Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge LA

Investigators

Abstract

NONTECHNICAL SUMMARY This Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award supports the development and integration of theoretical condensed matter ideas into dynamic quantum phases for innovative research, outreach, and an educated, critical-thinking quantum workforce. Controlling quantum phases of matter is an important theoretical and practical problem in quantum information science and quantum condensed matter physics. Even in classical physics, steering a system, as it dynamically changes, into a particular phase is a complicated and challenging problem. Take, for example, the weather as a classical example. The chaotic dynamics of weather means that it becomes inherently unpredictable (after roughly 14 days). However, if, through some great feet of global engineering, one could make slight modifications to the planet, then one might hope to control the weather. While this is impractical on such large scales, such theoretical control of chaos leads to sharp phases where the physical system is either controlled or uncontrolled (i.e., chaotic). In his recent studies, the PI has found the first hints that the analogous quantum systems host dynamic phases of quantum information, but there is a wide frontier to explore. The new concept that this connection reveals is that feedback based on information gathered about a physical system can control the quantum phase and steer it into a desired state. This allows experiments to immediately witness the phases, and it opens the prospect that we can choose interesting states to control that could help us solve other problems in condensed matter and quantum information sciences. In this project, the PI and his team will develop and apply new algorithms, employ high-performance computing resources and artificial intelligence methods to uncover new dynamic quantum phases and control chaotic systems onto specific, desired states of matter. The education and outreach activities supported by this award include (i) creating a podcast series on quantum science and releasing it on major podcasting platforms, (ii) the development of an open-source course at the intersection of quantum information and condensed matter, aimed at teaching students about the quantum technologies currently being used in industry, and (iii) working with the Erdos institute to bring industrial career development opportunities to graduate students. TECHNICAL SUMMARY This CAREER award supports research and education activities that are aimed at integrating theoretical condensed matter ideas into dynamic quantum phases for innovative research, outreach, and ideas to build a critical-thinking quantum workforce. The PI will use feedback to uncover new dynamic quantum phases and control chaotic systems onto specific states. The specific objectives of this proposal are to (1) develop hybrid dynamic models (with measurements, unitary dynamics, and feedback) that have a controlled phase transition onto specific states of the system and (2) learn about existing dynamical phase transitions and institute a form of control with prescribed feedback and machine learning. The PI and his team will develop new algorithms, employ high-performance computing resources, and develop a theoretical understanding of these transitions in quantized classical models, random quantum circuits, and quantum simulation of Hamiltonians such as the one-dimensional Hubbard model. The goal is to understand dynamic, ergodic, quantum phases, uniting theoretical condensed matter with quantum information sciences in the context of quantum control theory. The education and outreach activities supported by this award include (i) creating a podcast series on quantum science and releasing it on major podcasting platforms, (ii) the development of an open-source course at the intersection of quantum information and condensed matter, aimed at teaching students about the quantum technologies currently being used in industry, and (iii) working with the Erdos institute to bring industrial career development opportunities to graduate students. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.