Quantum simulator with 13 ions reproduces quark string breaking

A Duke Quantum Center team used a 13-ion trapped-ion quantum simulator to recreate string-breaking dynamics, in which the energy binding quarks converts into new particles. The results, published September 23 in Nature Physics, matched the same model run on a classical computer.

• Simulator uses 13 trapped ions controlled by laser beams
• String breaking mimics particle-antiparticle pair creation
• Results agreed with the same model on a classical computer
• Google and QuEra reproduced similar effects on other platforms