Quantum computers are expected to usher in revolutionary advances in a wide range of fields, from machine learning to fluid dynamics simulation and material science. However, it is not yet clear whether quantum advantage can be achieved in an actual application because of various physical limitations, such as noise from the environment in which the device is installed or connection quality.
Nobuyuki Yoshioka, an assistant professor at the University of Tokyo, leveraged methods from quantum many-body systems, computational physics, and information science to approach this problem, and showed that a quantum computer of a scale expected to be realized by 2030 will be able to perform quantum simulations that cannot presently be solved by modern science. This finding has been recognized as an important achievement in demonstrating that there is a reason for developing quantum computers themselves.
Yoshioka also developed a method for automatic extraction of correlations using artificial neural networks, and managed to achieve simulation of fundamental technology for quantum computing at the largest scale and highest accuracy level ever done. Specifically, in the analysis of the thermal stability of a peculiar phase called the quantum spin liquid, which is expected to host topological qubits, he achieved precision far exceeding that of conventional methods. Yoshioka also proposed a method to increase the stability of qubits severalfold by manipulating quantum correlations, and based on these results developed a method to carefully examine and reduce the effects of thermal noise and qubit lifespan.
Yoshioka's ultimate vision for quantum technology is the creation of quantum artificial intelligence. By this he means that his ultimate goal is to build a general-purpose solver that can answer any question related to natural science accurately and in a realistic time-frame by using quantum algorithms. In order to develop quantum artificial intelligence, it is necessary to integrate several different technologies ranging from hardware to software, and Yoshioka describes it as “mankind's greatest challenge,” a “mixed martial arts” of science and technology.
Yoshioka's research has already created links between different fields, such as ‘information × quantum’ with his work on the analysis and elimination of noise in qubits and ‘physics × quantum’ with his definition of the requirements for achieving quantum supremacy, paving the way to transforming modern physics. Further research also holds the potential to revolutionize the current thinking in fields like machine learning, material discovery, and optimization problems. Yoshioka aims to apply these achievements, which he refers to as 'modern magic,' to real-world applications and to broadly return the benefits of quantum technology to society.
