HEISINGBERG - Spatial Quantum Optical Annealer for Spin Hamiltonians

ID Call: HORIZON-EIC-2022-PATHFINDERCHALLENGES-01 EIC Pathfinder Challenge: Alternative approaches to Quantum Information Processing, Communication, and Sensing

Sapienza's role in the project: Other beneficiary

Scientific supervisor for Sapienza: Claudio Conti

Department: Physics

Project start date: November 1, 2023

Project end date: October 31, 2027

Abstract:

Optical simulators rank among the most promising candidates to power future technological breakthroughs in terms of speed, scalability, power consumption and quantum advantage, serving a wide range of useful optimization problems. However, the operation of such simulators remains currently limited by noise, the extent of algorithmic problems they can embed and the classical regime where they compete with supercomputers. HEISINGBERG aims to bring our state-of-the-art spatial photonic spin simulator into the quantum regime by upgrading its coherent drive to squeezed light, making it fully programmable through vector-matrix multiplication schemes, use of holography, ancillary spins & effective magnetic fields, and designing dedicated custom-tailored and purpose-built algorithms. The reduced fluctuations in one quadrature of the fields will allow us to scale up and optimize the performances of the existing machine to bring it beyond the capabilities of both classical supercomputers and competing spin-simulators.

Sapienza's specific contribution to the project activities will concern the realisation of a computational machine using electromagnetic field modulation.