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Studenten im Sommer auf dem Campus Nord, rote Zahnräder im Hintergrund © Roland Baege​/​TU Dortmund

DFG funds Dortmund project for the verification of digital quantum simulations

© Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ben Hermann ​/​ TU Dortmund University
The German Research Foundation (DFG) is funding a new project as part of the Priority Program 2514 "Quantum Software, Algorithms and Systems" a new research research project at the Technical University of Dortmund. Under the title "Scaling Verification of Digital Quantum Simulation", an interdisciplinary team is investigating how the how the correctness of complex quantum simulations can be checked efficiently. The project combines expertise from the fields of physics and computer science and is led by Jun.-Prof. Dr. Benedikt Fauseweh (Department of Physics), Jun.-Prof. Dr. Ben Hermann and Prof. Dr. Falk Howar (both Department of Computer Science)

Digital quantum simulations as a key technology of the future

Quantum technologies are among the key future fields of modern research. Digital quantum simulations in particular promise to significantly improve the modeling of complex systems in physics, chemistry and materials science. Quantum mechanical processes are simulated on quantum computers in order to precisely understand the properties of new materials or the physics of quantum particles, for example. However, the larger and more complex the underlying quantum circuits become, the more difficult it is to reliably verify such simulations. Conventional methods of software verification quickly reach their limits - especially when complex phenomena such as entanglement come into play. This is where the Dortmund project comes in.

Goal: creating trust in the results of quantum computers

The TU Dortmund University research team is developing new approaches to improve the scalability and reliability of the verification of digital quantum simulations. Formal methods from computer science - such as from program analysis and model checking - are to be combined with concepts from theoretical physics - such as entanglement entropy. "Our goal is to create a methodological foundation that allows the correctness of quantum simulations to be checked automatically and comprehensibly," explains Junior Professor Dr. Ben Hermann. This is a decisive step towards creating confidence in future quantum applications - both in basic research and in industrial contexts. Jun. Prof. Dr. Benedikt Fauseweh also emphasizes the relevance of interdisciplinary cooperation: "Quantum simulations open up new perspectives in physics. Through cooperation with computer science, the underlying computing processes can be made controllable and verifiable." Prof. Dr. Falk Howar adds: "We have many years of experience in formal software verification. We are now bringing this expertise to the world of quantum informatics - a field of research that will become increasingly important in the coming years."

Background: DFG Priority Program 2514 "Quantum Software, Algorithms and Systems"

The DFG Priority Program 2514 supports research projects that deal with the theoretical and methodological foundations of quantum computers. The aim is to advance the development of a trustworthy software and system level for quantum hardware - from new programming paradigms and algorithms to tools for analysis and verification. The Scaling Verification of Digital Quantum Simulation project in Dortmund is making an important contribution to this by developing methods with which quantum programs can not only be executed efficiently, but also verifiably correctly.

Contact persons for queries

- Jun.-Prof. Dr. Benedikt Fauseweh - Department of Physics, TU Dortmund University

- Jun.-Prof. Dr. Ben Hermann - Department of Computer Science, TU Dortmund University

- Prof. Dr. Falk Howar - Department of Computer Science, TU Dortmund University

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