Ion-Trap Quantum Computer Simulates SYK Model with 24 Majoranas
Quantinuum researchers digitally simulated a simplified Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev (SYK) model, a testbed for strongly interacting quantum matter and a toy model for quantum gravity, on a trapped-ion quantum computer, advancing chaotic many-body dynamics simulation beyond classical reach. A randomized “TETRIS” time-evolution algorithm and bespoke error-mitigation using Quantinuum’s System Model H1 hardware are used in the preprint.
The SYK model is valued in condensed-matter physics for capturing “all-to-all” fermion interactions and in high-energy theory for permitting laboratory probes of holographic duality theories. In the latest study, the scientists simulated a sparsified SYK instance with 24 interacting Majorana fermions, which are their own antiparticles, mapping them onto 13 physical qubits (called “12+1 qubits”) on the trapped-ion device.
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“We were interested in the SYK model for two reasons: it is a prototypical model of strongly interacting fermions in condensed matter physics, and it is the simplest toy model for studying quantum gravity in the lab via the holographic duality,” said Quantinuum Lead R&D Scientist Enrico Rinaldi, the paper's senior author.
What the team did The experiment uses Quantinuum's 2024 randomized algorithm TETRIS to accomplish time evolution without systematic Trotter errors for real-time quantum dynamics of a SYK Hamiltonian. The algorithm's randomized structure, H1's inherent all-to-all connectivity, and high-fidelity gates allowed the researchers to increase circuit depth while minimizing noise with natural error-mitigation “tricks.” Rinaldi says, “These algorithmic advances and System Model H1’s high-fidelity and all-to-all operations allowed us to realize the largest SYK simulations to date.”
On the analysis side, the preprint calculates the Loschmidt amplitude at long enough times to witness its decay—a characteristic of confused dynamics—demonstrating controlled access to out-of-equilibrium behavior in a strongly interacting system. For a 24-Majorana instance on a trapped-ion processor, the arXiv publication describes the randomized protocol and specific error-mitigation for TETRIS, while the Phys.org study stresses hardware-algorithm synergy
Hardware, algorithms Quantinuum's H1 technology captures and manipulates charged atomic ions as qubits, providing reconfigurable, full connectivity for models like SYK with nonlocal, all-to-all couplings. The researchers encoded (N=24) Majorana fermions utilizing a compact qubit mapping (12+1 qubits) and TETRIS-scheduled time-evolution gates. It eliminates systematic mistakes in Trotterized dynamics and pairs well with error-mitigation solutions that use the algorithm's randomization.
“Our study shows for the first time, such complicated interactions can be simulated on Quantinuum's current generation of commercial quantum devices by cleverly designing new algorithms and noise-modifying techniques,” Rinaldi added. In larger systems, “other difficult-to-simulate systems, such as the Fermi-Hubbard model, or lattice gauge theories, will be soon simulated by the quantum computers on our roadmap.”
How this fits in the field SYK has long been used to examine quantum confusion, information scrambling, and gravitational dualities. Simulations on noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) hardware are difficult, but recent architecture-wide work—including superconducting-qubit studies—has increased system sizes and observables. The trapped-ion demonstration extends that trajectory by pushing a huge Majorana count and presenting confusing decay-related dynamical observables using an algorithmic framework to reduce systematic mistakes.
The authors suggest that randomized digital simulation and error-mitigation on ion-trap hardware could be applied to other nonlocal and strongly correlated models. As Quantinuum upgrades to future “Helios” platforms, Rinaldi says the team is exploring new methods to simulate SYK models that use new capabilities. Increasing circuit depth and gate fidelities while reducing complexity and gate count.
Points for carryout
Model and scale: A trapped-ion quantum computer simulated a SYK model with 24 Majorana fermions. Algorithm: The 2024 TETRIS randomized time-evolution approach supported the simulation and natural error reduction. Hardware: Quantinuum's System Model H1 supported nonlocal SYK couplings with all-to-all connection and high-fidelity operations. Observables: The team calculated the Loschmidt amplitude long enough to detect decline, indicating chaotic processes. Outlook: The group plans to simulate Fermi-Hubbard and lattice gauge models using enhanced hardware (“Helios”) and algorithms. Printing on arXiv means the paper has not been peer-reviewed. Phys.org says Science X fact-checked and evaluated the article, but scientists wait for journal publication to confirm. Still, randomized evolution, error mitigation, and trapped-ion connectivity show promise for scaling chaotic many-body digital simulations.