Google’s quantum computer simulation of a wormhole may not have worked

The first simulation of a wormhole on a quantum computer made headlines, but a new study brings into question whether it was an accurate representation

Physics 27 February 2023

Google's Sycamore quantum processor

Google’s Sycamore quantum processor

Erik Lucero/Google

The first simulation of a wormhole on a quantum computer may not have been an accurate representation of a wormhole after all. Since the original simulation was announced last year, another group of researchers has examined the physics behind the work and found several problems that could scupper the results.

At the centre of the original work is a concept called a “holographic wormhole”, which is a depiction of a wormhole that has been simplified using techniques from quantum mechanics to make it easier to simulate. Importantly, …

Related Posts