Abstract Quantum cellular automata (QCA) evolve qubits in a quantum circuit depending only on the states of their neighborhoods and model how rich physical complexity can emerge from a simple set of underlying dynamical rules. The inability of classical computers to simulate large quantum systems hinders the elucidation of quantum cellular automata, but quantum computers offer an ideal simulation platform. Here, we experimentally realize QCA on a digital quantum processor, simulating a one-dimensional Goldilocks rule on chains of up to 23 superconducting qubits. We calculate calibrated and error-mitigated population dynamics and complex network measures, which indicate the formation of small-world mutual information networks. These networks decohere at fixed circuit depth independent of system size, the largest of which corresponding to 1,056 two-qubit gates. Such computations may enable the employment of QCA in applications like the simulation of strongly-correlated matter or beyond-classical computational demonstrations. 
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                            Entangled quantum cellular automata, physical complexity, and Goldilocks rules
                        
                    
    
            Cellular automata are interacting classical bits that display diverse behaviors, from fractals to random-number generators to Turing-complete computation. We introduce entangled quantum cellular automata subject to Goldilocks rules, tradeoffs of the kind underpinning biological, social, and economic complexity. Tweaking digital and analog quantum-computing protocols generates persistent entropy fluctuations; robust dynamical features, including an entangled breather; and network structure and dynamics consistent with complexity. Present-day quantum platforms---Rydberg arrays, trapped ions, and superconducting qubits---can implement Goldilocks protocols, which generate quantum many-body states with rich entanglement and structure. Moreover, the complexity studies reported here underscore an emerging idea in many-body quantum physics: some systems fall outside the integrable/chaotic dichotomy. 
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                            - Award ID(s):
- 1839232
- PAR ID:
- 10197517
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- ArXivorg
- ISSN:
- 2331-8422
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 2005.01763
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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