CAREER: New Frontiers in Continuous-time Open Quantum Systems

The dynamics of quantum systems in continuous time are ubiquitous in quantum physics, quantum chemistry, quantum biology, and quantum information science. In these fields, all realistic quantum systems are coupled to an uncontrollable environment in a non-negligible way. These systems are known as open quantum systems. However, the majority of studies of quantum systems have focused on an idealized model where the systems are isolated from the environment, referred to as closed quantum systems. A significant challenge remains in studying these realistic open quantum systems from a computational perspective, as existing technical tools and models are primarily designed for closed systems. To address this challenge, this project will develop novel mathematical frameworks and quantum computing techniques to model, analyze, and characterize the behavior of open quantum systems. This project will advance the study of continuous-time open quantum systems in several important directions, including simulating their dynamics, harnessing their computational powers, and characterizing their computational capabilities. The overarching goal is to establish the computational and mathematical treatments of such systems to push the study of quantum computation far beyond the Hamiltonian regime for broader applications. Specific goals of this project include: developing novel techniques for simulating open quantum systems; discovering further algorithmic applications of continuous-time open quantum systems; identifying the physical implications of evolving open quantum systems; and characterizing the computational capabilities of open quantum systems. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.