Large Hadron Collider regularly makes magic

This discovery was published in Physical Review Dwhich has implications for the advancement of quantum computing, magic is a measure that describes how difficult a quantum system is for non-quantum computers to compute.

“The higher the magic, the more we need quantum computers to describe behavior,” explains Professor Martin White from the University of Adelaide’s School of Physics, Chemistry and Earth Sciences, who co-led the research with his twin brother Professor Chris. White is a physicist at Queen Mary University of London.

“Studying the amazing properties of quantum systems can yield important insights into the development and potential uses of quantum computers.”

The LHC is the world’s largest and most powerful particle accelerator, consisting of a 27-kilometer-long ring of superconducting magnets and multiple accelerating structures through which two high-energy particle beams travel at nearly the speed of light before colliding.

The magic displayed by top quarks depends on how fast they move and in which direction they travel, all of which can be measured by the ATLAS and CMS detectors that observe the results of proton collisions at the Large Hadron Collider.

“Quantum research has long focused on entanglement, which is where particles are interconnected; however, our work in Magic explores how particles are ideally suited to building powerful quantum computers,” Professor White said.

“The ATLAS experiment has already observed evidence of quantum entanglement. We have shown that the LHC can also observe more complex patterns of quantum behavior at the highest energies ever attempted by such an experiment.”

For decades, scientists have been working to build quantum computers, which use the laws of quantum mechanics to achieve greater processing power than traditional computers.

The potential benefits of quantum computers are huge, impacting areas such as drug discovery and materials science. Harnessing this power requires powerful and controllable quantum states, and magic plays a key role in enabling this control.

“Our research paves the way for a deeper understanding of the connections between quantum information theory and high-energy physics,” Professor White said.

“This discovery is not just the heaviest particle in the universe, it also unlocks the potential for a revolutionary new computing paradigm.”