A physics challenge at the heart of the first and second quantum revolutions

After nearly two decades of intensive effort from both experimental and theoretical communities, we are ushering in a new era in quantum sciences.

Groundbreaking experiments with cold atoms have enabled us to quantum simulate Hamiltonians, allowing us to explore a plethora of collective phenomena, ranging from quantum phase transitions to thermalization and emergent hydrodynamics. Another key advance have came from the level of control achieved in experiments with light, which has made it possible to probe elementary excitations and activate different phases in quantum materials. Meanwhile, progress in material science and quantum information have finally enabled quantum computing, and new paradigm for information processing started to become real. We have witness the birth of qubits: a novel unity for encoding information. Quantum processors are now available across a variety of platforms, which can be accessed on the cloud to test quantum algorithms through quantum circuits. The expectation is that, in near future, they will outperform classical chips and supercomputers in the solution of very complex problems.

This exciting scenario presents a number of theoretical challenges. To manipulate and probe increasingly complex systems, we must frame the problem as a many-body system with non-trivial interactions and account for their time-dependent response. A question of growing interest is the energetic cost associated with control and measurement in these quantum systems. The demand for new models and analytical and numerical tools to guide the design of quantum technologies requires an interdisciplinary approach that accounts for scalability, controllability, and efficiency.

My research is inspired by these challenges. I am currently work at the interface of condensed matter theory, statistical mechanics, and quantum information to help tackle them.