Emily Bell L&S Math & Physical Sciences
Emergent Complexity in Quantum Cellular Automata
Cellular automata are rule-based systems in which each cell updates its state based on its neighbors, and despite their simplicity, they can generate surprisingly rich and complex patterns. This project asks what happens when those rules run not on classical bits, but on qubits: the building blocks of a quantum computer. On a five-qubit superconducting processor, we implement classical cellular automata using mid-circuit measurement and real-time feedforward, where the system reads the state of neighboring qubits mid-computation and immediately conditions its next step on the outcome. Unlike prior work that measures only at the end, each run generates a genuine quantum trajectory: one specific realized sequence of outcomes from all the possibilities quantum mechanics permits. Having optimized for high-fidelity, minimally-disturbing readout, we are probing whether quantum effects like entanglement, coherence, and measurement backaction give rise to emergent behaviors with no classical counterpart, and whether a deceptively simple framework can become a window into the emergent complexity of a quantum system.
Message To Sponsor
I can't thank you enough for your support. Being a scientist is a lifelong dream of mine, and through my coursework at UC Berkeley and research, I have discovered a true passion for quantum information science. Your generosity means I’m able to spend the summer doing exactly the work I love, taking real steps toward a future in physics, and I could not be more grateful or more excited for what lies ahead!