Colloquium 30 May: Dr. Graham van Goffrier University of Southampton (U. Maine Valedictorian 2018)
On Thursday, May 30, Dr. Graham Van Goffrier, University of Southampton (U. Maine Valedictorian 2018), will be presenting a Colloquium in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, in person and remote zoom, entitled “Simulating Nuclear Forces on Quantum Computers” . The talk begins at 1:00 pm in 141 Bennett Hall.
Zoom link:
Abstract
Since the early 2000s, lattice quantum chromodynamics (LQCD) has emerged as the dominant strategy for computing numerical predictions of the strong nuclear force. LQCD is an essential tool in the comparison of theory to experiment in searches for new physics; including via hadron masses, heavy quark decays, and lepton magnetic moments. For now, LQCD results can only be obtained by astoundingly-intensive Monte Carlo simulations on supercomputers, and indeed are considered a benchmark problem for high-performance computing. However, evidence is mounting that quantum computers may provide an exponential advantage in simulating LQCD and other strongly-coupled quantum systems, with some limitations. In this talk, I will provide an intro to lattice gauge theories, and compare a few quantum algorithms which have shown promise in this domain. I will also gesture towards the crucial role of symmetries (Lie theory) in making such algorithms competitive, as well as links to quantum machine learning.