Communications of the ACM
Scientists se a Photonic Quantum Simulator to Make Virtual Movies of Molecules Vibrating
A team of researchers from universities in the U.K. and U.S. have shown how an optical chip can simulate the motion of atoms within molecules at the quantum level.
Credit: R&D Magazine
Researchers from five institutions, including the University of Bristol in the U.K., the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis, have demonstrated how an optical chip can simulate the motion of atoms within molecules at the quantum level.
This new route to molecular modelling could become an early application of photonic quantum technologies, with potential to create more efficient processes for pharmaceutical developments and prompt new methods of molecular modelling for industrial chemists.
The approach is based on a similarity between the vibrations of atoms in molecules and photons of light in optical chips.
University of Bristol's Anthony Laing says the researchers can program a chip, mapping its components to the structure of a particular molecule, then simulate how a certain vibrational pattern evolves over a time interval. Using many time intervals, the researchers can essentially create a movie of the molecular dynamics.
In the coming years, the researchers aim to develop quantum simulation and modelling tools that provide a practical advantage over conventional computing methods.
From University of Bristol News
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