Quantum simulator could solve one of science’s biggest mysteries

Researchers at Duke University have made a groundbreaking observation of the quantum effect in the interaction of light-absorbing molecules and photons. This effect is known As a conic intersection affects how molecules transition between different configurations.

Imagine two mountains touching their peaks. This intersection point determines the movement of electrons between various energy states. When a molecule absorbs light energy, its electrons are excited. However, this excited state is unstable and the molecule tries to return to its original, stable state.

By doing this it releases the absorbed energy or successfully transitions to another state. In such processes, quantum effects come into play due to the rapid movement of atoms and electrons, meaning that the molecule exists in several states at once.

But, A unique mathematical phenomenon called geometric phase constrains the occurrence of certain transitions.. It’s like trying to wrap a blanket around a mountain but not being able to cover it completely.

Historically, this phase has been difficult to observe. It is short-lived, occurs in femtoseconds, and operates on an atomic scale. Moreover, even the slightest interference can prevent you from observing. The geometric phase has always been elusive, although individual aspects of the conic intersection have been observed.

To investigate this phenomenon, the researchers used a five-ion quantum computer. This computer, made by Duke’s Jungsang Kim team, uses lasers. controlling charged atoms in space.

By manipulating these ions and their quantum states, the researchers were able to simulate the exact quantum behavior of atoms around a conical intersection. Because the dynamics of captured ions are significantly slower than that of a molecule, this setup allowed the team to directly measure the geometric phase.

This experiment resulted in a crescent-like two-dimensional representation. This shows certain molecular configurations cannot cross from one side of the conic intersection to the otheralthough there is no energy barrier. This work demonstrates the potential of modern quantum computers to model and reveal the complex mechanics of complex quantum systems.

Also, a similar experiment conducted at the University of Sydney in Australia confirmed the Duke University team’s findings by independently examining geometric phase effects.

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