Google’s Quantum AI Unlocks a Unusual New Part of Matter

An unique section of matter has been realized on a quantum processor.

Matter can exist in numerous types, or phases, resembling liquid water or stable ice. These phases are often understood beneath equilibrium circumstances, the place all the pieces stays secure over time. However, nature additionally permits a lot stranger prospects: phases that seem solely when a system is pushed out of equilibrium. A brand new examine revealed in Nature demonstrates that quantum computer systems present a robust new instrument for investigating these uncommon states of matter.

In distinction to atypical phases, non-equilibrium quantum phases are outlined by how they alter and evolve over time, a kind of habits that can’t be defined by normal equilibrium thermodynamics. A very intriguing instance arises in Floquet techniques (quantum techniques which might be pushed in common, repeating cycles). This periodic driving can produce totally new sorts of order that don’t exist beneath equilibrium circumstances, uncovering phenomena far past what typical phases of matter enable.

Using a 58 superconducting qubit quantum processor, the group from the Technical University of Munich (TUM), Princeton University, and Google Quantum AI realized a Floquet topologically ordered state, a phase that had been theoretically proposed but never before observed. They directly imaged the characteristic directed motions at the edge and developed a novel interferometric algorithm to probe the system’s underlying topological properties. This allowed them to witness the dynamical “transmutation” of exotic particles – a hallmark that has been theoretically predicted for these exotic quantum states.

Quantum computer as a laboratory

“Highly entangled non-equilibrium phases are notoriously hard to simulate with classical computers,” said the first author Melissa Will, PhD student at the Physics Department of the TUM School of Natural Sciences. “Our results show that quantum processors are not just computational devices – they are powerful experimental platforms for discovering and probing entirely new states of matter.”

This work opens the door to a new era of quantum simulation, where quantum computers become laboratories for studying the vast and largely unexplored landscape of out-of-equilibrium quantum matter. The insights gained from these studies could have far-reaching implications, from understanding fundamental physics to designing next-generation quantum technologies.

Reference: “Probing non-equilibrium topological order on a quantum processor” by M. Will, T. A. Cochran, E. Rosenberg, B. Jobst, N. M. Eassa, P. Roushan, M. Knap, A. Gammon-Smith and F. Pollmann, 10 September 2025, Nature.
DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-09456-3

Never miss a breakthrough: Join the SciTechDaily newsletter.