Key Highlights:
- A new relationship between quantum information and quantum field theory has been identified by researchers
- Study Illustrates Quantum information theory is increasingly important in many disciplines of physics
- Quantum gravity is also explained by conformal field theories through holographic correspondence
New Research from Skoltech and the University of Kentucky
Quantum information is the information about the state of a quantum system. It is the fundamental unit of study in quantum information theory and can be influenced by using quantum information processing techniques. Whereas, in theoretical physics, Quantum field theory (QFT) is a conceptual framework that merges classical field theory, special relativity, and quantum mechanics. QFT is employed in particle physics to develop physical models of subatomic particles and in condensed matter physics to construct models of quasiparticles.
However, in a recent study from Skoltech and the University of Kentucky, researchers have discovered a new connection between quantum information and quantum field theory. This study demonstrates the increasing importance of quantum information theory across numerous fields of physics.
Modern Understanding of Quantum Gravity
Quantum information is becoming more essential as a connecting concept between diverse fields of physics. The theory of quantum error correction, which defines how to safeguard and retrieve information in quantum computers and other complex interacting systems, has become a cornerstone of the modern understanding of quantum gravity.
By “error,” we mean any unanticipated or unwanted interaction which intercepts data over a large area. Error-correcting codes are mathematical procedures that allow collecting these parts together to restore the original data. “Quantum error-correcting codes perform a similar role when the quantum aspect of the physical system is relevant,” Anatoly Dymarsky, Associate Professor at the Skoltech Center for Energy Science and Technology (CEST), explains.
Interpreting Quantum Gravity
In an unexpected turn of events, scientists recently discovered that quantum gravity—the theory that describes the quantum dynamics of space and time—operates on comparable mathematical protocols to exchange information across different areas of space.
In their new research, Dymarsky and his colleague Alfred Shapere from the University of Kentucky Department of Physics and Astronomy establish a fresh connection between quantum error-correcting codes and two-dimensional conformal field theories. The latter describes interactions of quantum particles and have become standard theoretical tools for explaining a variety of phenomena, from fundamental elementary particles to quasi-particles forming in quantum materials, like graphene. Some of these conformal field theories also explain quantum gravity via holographic correspondence.
“Now we have a novel playground to investigate the role of quantum error-correcting codes in the context of quantum field theory. We hope this is a starting step toward understanding how the locality of information actually works, and what hides beneath all this beautiful mathematics,” Dymarsky concludes.
Also Read: Expanding Quantum Technology in Computer Hardware
