Colóquio 18/11/2022: Quantum simulation of disordered systems

More than 40 years ago, Richard Feynman outlined the visionary concept of a quantum simulator. That is, a controlled device that itself operates at the quantum level and can be programmed to simulate any local quantum system. Today, his dream has become a reality in laboratories around the world, raising expectations of a near era of quantum computing.

This talk discusses some recent examples of quantum simulators for disordered systems. Starting from cold atom simulators that test our understanding of Anderson localization, we report on a recent photon simulator of a topological critical state, forming at a quantum phase transition between topologically distinct Anderson isolating phases. We conclude with a proposal for a quantum simulator of high-dimensional systems, allowing e.g. the simulation of surface states of a four-dimensional quantum Hall insulator.