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The ultimate energy source that powers the universe is within reach.

In December 2022, scientists successfully achieved ignition, meaning that their bottled, microscopic star put out more energy than it sucked in. But achieving ignition is just the first step, and fusion physicists and engineers need to discover and design a whole host of innovations to translate ignition into grid-reliable power.

To combat climate change and meet our growing electricity needs, humanity needs a fusion drive. But understanding the complex soup of free electrons that makes up the super-hot plasma necessary for fusion isnt easyand if you cant simulate, you cant innovate. If fusion scientists could leverage the untapped potential of quantum computers to run those simulations, however, then they might just be on to something.

A new paper published by scientists at MITs Plasma Science and Fusion Center (PSFC) hopes to do just that. Using what are called Dyson maps, the researchers hope to translate the language of classical physics into terms that a quantum computera machine designed to solve complex quandaries by leveraging the unique properties of quantum particlescan understand. The results of the study were published in Physical Review A.

For years we have been studying wave phenomena in plasma physics and fusion energy science using classical techniques, co-author and research scientist Abhay K. Ram said in a press release. Quantum computing and quantum information science is challenging us to step out of our comfort zone.

Understanding the physics occurring inside plasma requires a deep understanding of electromagnetism, one of the four fundamental forces of nature (the others are gravity and the weak and strong nuclear forces, for those keeping score). The behavior of electromagnetic waves, including how theyre formed and how they interact with each other, are determined by equations famously calculated by Scottish physicist John Clerk Maxwell in the 1860s. Thats where Dyson maps come in, as MIT explains:

If physicists can successfully employ Dyson maps to study plasma physics, quantum computers could calculate parameterssuch as vessel shape and magnet placementin much greater detail, all while completing tasks orders of magnitude faster than classical supercomputers.

Building a working fusion reactorlet alone an entire power plant that plugs into the gridwill be one of the most gargantuan scientific undertakings in human history. We need all the quantum help we can get.

Darren lives in Portland, has a cat, and writes/edits about sci-fi and how our world works. You can find his previous stuff at Gizmodo and Paste if you look hard enough.

See the article here:
How Physicists Are Using Dyson Maps to Build a Working Fusion ... - Popular Mechanics