Title: Quantum Computer Breakthrough Allows Direct Observation of Chemical Reactions
Subtitle: University of Sydney Scientists utilize quantum computer to slow down chemical reactions and unveil new insights
Date: August 28, 2023
Scientists at the University of Sydney have achieved a groundbreaking feat by using a quantum computer to directly observe a critical chemical reaction process. This quantum technology breakthrough has allowed researchers to slow down the reaction by a factor of 100 billion, providing new insights into materials science, drug design, and other fields.
The research team, led by joint researchers Vanessa Olaya Agudelo and Dr. Christophe Valahu, successfully witnessed the interference pattern of a single atom caused by a common geometric structure in chemistry known as a “conical intersection.” These conical intersections play a vital role in rapid photochemical processes, such as human vision and photosynthesis.
Directly observing these geometric processes has been a challenge for chemists since the 1950s due to the extremely rapid timescales involved. To overcome this problem, the quantum researchers at the University of Sydney designed an experiment using a trapped-ion quantum computer in a unique manner. This enabled them to map the complex problem onto a small quantum device and slow down the process by a factor of 100 billion.
The findings of this research were published in the journal Nature Chemistry on August 28, 2023. The researchers were able to observe chemical dynamics that usually occur within femtoseconds (a billionth of a millionth of a second) in nature, but were now observable within milliseconds in the lab.
Dr. Christophe Valahu compared this achievement to simulating air patterns around a plane wing in a wind tunnel. By using quantum technologies, the researchers were able to directly observe the quantum dynamics unfolding at a speed that was observable.
The implications of this study are far-reaching, as it provides a better understanding of ultrafast dynamics and how molecules change on the fastest timescales. This breakthrough could have significant impacts on various fields, including materials science, drug design, solar energy harvesting, and understanding processes such as the creation of smog or damage to the ozone layer.
The collaboration between chemistry theorists and experimental quantum physicists at the University of Sydney highlights the power of interdisciplinary research. The experiment was conducted in the Quantum Control Laboratory of Professor Michael Biercuk, founder of quantum startup Q-CTRL.
According to Associate Professor Ivan Kassal, this groundbreaking result was made possible through access to the country’s best programmable quantum computer at the University of Sydney.
The research received support from various grants and organizations, including the US Office of Naval Research, the US Army Research Office Laboratory for Physical Sciences, the US Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity, Lockheed Martin, and the Australian Government’s National Computational Infrastructure.
This pioneering research in directly observing chemical reactions using a quantum computer opens up new possibilities for understanding and manipulating fundamental processes that occur within molecules. The ability to slow down these processes allows for novel insights that could revolutionize various scientific fields, paving the way for future advancements in materials science, drug design, and beyond.