The advent of quantum computing is opening previously unimaginable perspectives for solving problems deemed beyond the reach of conventional computers, from cryptography and pharmacology to the physical and chemical properties of molecules and materials. However, the computational capabilities of present-day quantum computers are still relatively limited. A newly published study in Science Advances fosters an unexpected alliance between the methods used in quantum and traditional computing.
The research team, formed by Cristian Micheletti and Francesco Slongo of SISSA in Trieste, Philipp Hauke of the University of Trento, and Pietro Faccioli of the University of Milano-Bicocca, used a mathematical approach called QUBO (from "Quadratic Unconstraint Binary Optimization") that is ideally suited for specific quantum computers, called "quantum annealers".
The study harnessed the QUBO approach to simulate in a radically new way dense polymer mixtures, which are complex physical systems central to biology and material science. The result? A major boost in computational performance was obtained with the quantum computers compared to traditional techniques, thus providing a significant example of the vast potential of these emerging technologies. Remarkably, the QUBO approach proved particularly effective even when adopted on conventional computers, enabling researchers to discover surprising properties of the simulated polymer mixtures.
The implications can be far-reaching given that the approach used in the study is naturally suited to be transferred to many other molecular systems.
(Image by Cristian Micheletti via Adobe Firefly)