How OLCF’s QCUP Enabled Particle Physics On IBM Quantum

A researcher at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has successfully simulated hadronization, the process where quarks bind together to form particles like protons and neutrons, by remotely accessing IBM quantum hardware through the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility’s (OLCF) Quantum Computer User Program ( QCUP ). Despite physical experiments at facilities like CERN’s Large Hadron Collider providing indirect measurements, the complete steps of hadronization remain elusive, prompting the need for advanced computer simulations. This project lays the groundwork for leveraging quantum computers to perform calculations beyond the reach of even the most powerful classical supercomputers. “In principle, we know the theory that describes hadronization, but we are unable to make predictions using it because the calculations have been too difficult for a classical computer,” said Anthony Ciavarella, the Berkeley Lab research scientist who led the project; on a quantum computer, direct predictions detailing how hadronization occurs may be possible, aiding searches for new physics.