Dr Ana Hudomal, one of this year’s three recipients of national recognition within the international programme L’Oréal-UNESCO ‘For Women in Science’ does her research in physics of quantum many particle systems at the Centre for the Study of Complex Systems of the Institute of Physics Belgrade. Her research focuses on quantum scars.
‘I work in the field of quantum physics. I am particularly interested in systems of a number of interacting quantum particles. These systems are interesting because they exhibit some properties absent in classical physics,’ explains Dr Hudomal.
Her main topic of research is an unusual phenomenon in the field of quantum physics: many-body quantum scarring.
‘This is an entirely new field since this phenomenon was noticed for the first time in experiments at Harvard University in 2017. What is interesting in these experiments is that most initial configurations were thermalized which is expected, but some special initial configurations which did not behave in accordance with the expectations were also encountered. Instead of thermalizing, the system repeatedly returned to its initial state, almost as if it retained a memory of where it started. This was unexpected.’ elaborated Dr Hudomal, comparing this unusual phenomenon with melting ice cream, returning to its frozen state and its initial form.
According to Dr Hudomal, the term quantum many-body scars got its name based on an analogy to the concept of quantum scars observed in the single-particle system, which was discovered in the 1980s. In single-particle systems, certain wave functions exhibit an increased probability density near periodic orbits of the corresponding classical system, and so the classical orbits are said to leave ‘scars’ in the quantum system. ‘For many-body scars, however, the scenario is more complex because quantum wave functions have an increased probability density in specific regions of the state space rather than in real space and the connection with periodic orbits has been established only in some special cases so far.’ she adds.
Dr Hudomal uses analytical methods and computer simulations in her research into the laws that govern different types of complex systems. Her work also extends to quantum computers where she uses the resources of the Aquila quantum computer, which works on the principle of Rydberg atoms and was developed by the company QuEra.
‘Quantum computers could revolutionize science,’ she says. ‘So far, they work great in theory, but in practice, there are many challenges, so it is necessary to reduce errors and increase the number of so-called qubits, which are the counterparts of bits in a classical computer. In this case, the qubits are Rydberg atoms—zero when in the ground state and one when in the excited state.’
Unlike classical computers, which operate with only zero or one state, quantum computers can exist in any superposition of these states. ‘This helps us in computing and solving certain problems,’ adds Dr Hudomal.
‘Quantum computers are a new technology that allows us to study quantum many-particle scars,’ explains Dr. Hudomal. ‘There’s also potential for advancements in the field of quantum scars to contribute to the development of quantum computer hardware. If the system thermalizes, when we don’t want it to, this could lead to state changes and system errors. If we want to control this, for example, to prevent thermalization if it is not desired, quantum scars could offer a valuable solution,’
The goal of the global programme ‘For Women in Science’ is to offer support to exceptional women researchers who contribute to the advancement of science and society through their dedication, achievements and vision. For 14 years, Serbia has honoured its top female scientists through a partnership between the Commission of the Republic of Serbia for Cooperation with UNESCO, the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation, and the L’Oréal Company. The national recognition ‘For Women in Science’ is a type of support and encouragement to continue their professional growth and pursue science in Serbia.