When fermions go digital

Fermions are particles whose interactions shape the properties of many materials, including superconductors, which can conduct electricity without loss. Yet, such strongly interacting systems are extremely difficult to calculate with classical computers. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics have now achieved an important breakthrough: They realised high-precision entangling gates for fermionic atoms, combining digital and analogue methods to simulate materials at the atomic scale with ultracold gases. The result opens new possibilities for hybrid quantum circuits and could ultimately lead to more powerful quantum technologies.