Quantum simulator reveals quark string breaking starts at the edges

Physicists used a 15-ion trapped-ion quantum simulator to recreate a one-dimensional Z₂ lattice gauge theory and found that string breaking between a quark and antiquark begins at the edges before spreading inward, unlike the standard Schwinger mechanism. The study was published in Nature Physics.

• 15-ion chain used, with 13 central ions actively driven
• New charge pairs appear first near the string's ends, then move inward
• Mechanism differs from the conventional Schwinger picture
• Study published in the journal Nature Physics