Scientists at Paderborn University have found ways to solve very complex math problems related to quantum photonics using high-performance computing (HPC).

Quantum photonics is about studying and using photons in quantum systems. HPC is about super powerful computers that can do calculations much faster than regular computers.

The scientists have described their methods and results in a paper published in Quantum Science and Technology.

The scientists focused on quantum tomography. This is a method to figure out the full details of a quantum state, like mapping it out completely. They used this on a special kind of detector that measures individual photons.

There’s a huge amount of data involved. Analyzing this data while keeping the quantum state intact is tough.

The scientists developed new open source HPC algorithms. With these, they managed to perform quantum tomography on a very large scale. This had never been done before at this level because regular computer methods couldn’t handle the scale or speed needed.

Faster computers to model larger quantum systems

“By developing customised open-source algorithms using high-performance computing, we have carried out quantum tomography on a photonic quantum detector on a mega-scale,” says researcher Timon Schapeler in a Paderborn University press release.

“The results open up completely new possibilities in the field of scalable quantum photonics in terms of the size of the systems to be analysed,” continues Schapeler. “This also has implications for the characterisation of photonic quantum computer hardware, for example.”

The significance of this work is that it allows for much larger quantum systems to be analyzed quickly. For example, they could describe a photon detector in just a few minutes, which was faster than ever done before. This breakthrough means scientists can now work on bigger quantum systems, potentially leading to advancements in quantum computers and other quantum technologies.

This research not only pushes the boundaries of what we can compute but also how we can apply quantum technology in real-world applications like better measurement tools, enhanced data processing, and secure communication systems. It also shows how basic research in quantum physics can lead to practical future technologies.

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