Google's quantum computer creates exotic state once thought impossible
Successful new approach for research of out-of-equilibrium matter.
- Date:
- September 12, 2025
- Source:
- Technical University of Munich (TUM)
- Summary:
- Physicists have achieved a breakthrough by using a 58-qubit quantum computer to create and observe a long-theorized but never-before-seen quantum phase of matter: a Floquet topologically ordered state. By harnessing rhythmic driving in these quantum systems, the team imaged particle edge motions and watched exotic particles transform in real time.
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Unlike conventional phases of matter, the so-called non-equilibrium quantum phases are defined by their dynamical and time-evolving properties -- a behavior that cannot be captured by traditional equilibrium thermodynamics. One particularly rich class of non-equilibrium states arises in Floquet systems -- quantum systems that are periodically driven in time. This rhythmic driving can give rise to entirely new forms of order that cannot exist under any equilibrium conditions, revealing phenomena that are fundamentally beyond the reach of conventional phases of matter.
Using a 58 superconducting qubit quantum processor, the team from the Technical University of Munich (TUM), Princeton University, and Google Quantum AI realized a Floquet topologically ordered state, a phase that had been theoretically proposed but never before observed. They directly imaged the characteristic directed motions at the edge and developed a novel interferometric algorithm to probe the system's underlying topological properties. This allowed them to witness the dynamical "transmutation" of exotic particles - a hallmark that has been theoretically predicted for these exotic quantum states.
Quantum computer as a laboratory
"Highly entangled non-equilibrium phases are notoriously hard to simulate with classical computers," said the first author Melissa Will, PhD student at the Physics Department of the TUM School of Natural Sciences. "Our results show that quantum processors are not just computational devices - they are powerful experimental platforms for discovering and probing entirely new states of matter."
This work opens the door to a new era of quantum simulation, where quantum computers become laboratories for studying the vast and largely unexplored landscape of out-of-equilibrium quantum matter. The insights gained from these studies could have far-reaching implications, from understanding fundamental physics to designing next-generation quantum technologies.
Story Source:
Materials provided by Technical University of Munich (TUM). Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
- M. Will, T. A. Cochran, E. Rosenberg, B. Jobst, N. M. Eassa, P. Roushan, M. Knap, A. Gammon-Smith, F. Pollmann. Probing non-equilibrium topological order on a quantum processor. Nature, 2025; 645 (8080): 348 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-09456-3
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