Using specialised software to simulate quantum systems, performing large calculations and attempting to examine in detail three key issues of quantum Darwinism – this is the project that dr Aleksander A. Lasek from the University of Maryland will work on during his postdoctoral internship at the International Centre for Theory Of Quantum Technologies at the University of Gdańsk. The person inviting is prof. dr hab. Paweł Horodecki from ICTQT. The project received funding under the European Commission's (Horizon Europe Programme) Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship 2024 as one of only 12 projects submitted by Polish institutions!

The aim of the MSCA programme is to support researchers at various stages of their careers by stimulating academic mobility and enabling participating institutions to hire foreign researchers and develop their own research staff. In the case of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie postdoctoral fellowship programme, the application is submitted by a researcher with a doctoral degree and a host institution, which is obliged to appoint a supervisor for the young researcher.

The project, which will be carried out at the University of Gdańsk, concerns quantum Darwinism, a theory that attempts to describe the transition from the world of quantum phenomena to the world described by classical physics.

‘The quantum world is governed by different laws than the one we know in everyday life. In physics, there is a theory called quantum Darwinism, which tries to explain why quantum objects - such as individual particles - lose their unusual properties and begin to behave according to classical physics. This happens as a result of interactions with the environment, which resembles the mechanism of natural selection - of many possible states, only those that can be observed in the classical world “survive”,’ says dr Aleksander A. Lasek ‘Understanding this process is crucial not only for our knowledge of the fundamental laws of physics, but also for the future of quantum computers. The better we can control the transition between the quantum and classical world, the more we can reduce errors and improve the stability of these modern devices.’

In this project, the scientists will use specialised software to simulate quantum systems, accelerated by graphics processing units (GPUs). This will enable large calculations - up to 30 qubits - and detailed examination of three key issues related to quantum Darwinism. Modern computing technologies will allow for a better understanding of how the quantum world turns into a classical one.

In the current edition of the programme, 10,360 applications were submitted, of which 1,696 will be funded. Of the 88 applications submitted by Polish entities, 12 were funded. We would like to congratulate dr Aleksander Lasko and prof. Paweł Horodecki!