Researchers at quantum computing firm Quantinuum have used their new Helios-1 machine to run the largest quantum simulation yet of the Fermi-Hubbard model, a framework central to understanding superconductivity. The experiment involved 36 fermions and demonstrated particle pairing triggered by a laser pulse. This advance highlights quantum computers' potential in materials science, though challenges remain.
Superconductors, which conduct electricity with perfect efficiency, currently operate only at very low temperatures, limiting their practical use. Physicists have long sought ways to enable room-temperature superconductivity, often turning to the Fermi-Hubbard model—a mathematical framework dating back to the 1960s—for insights. As Quantinuum's Henrik Dreyer notes, this model is "one of the most important models in all condensed matter physics."
Conventional computers can simulate the model effectively for small scales but falter with larger samples or dynamic changes over time. To address this, Dreyer and colleagues employed Helios-1, a quantum computer with 98 qubits made from barium ions, manipulated via lasers and electromagnetic fields. In their experiment, they simulated 36 fermions—particles central to superconductors—and initiated pairing by applying a laser pulse to the qubits. Measurements revealed signs of this pairing, capturing a dynamical process challenging for classical methods beyond a few particles.
The simulation took a couple of hours on Helios-1, while classical approaches yielded unreliable results or indeterminately long times. "For the methods that we tried, it was impossible to reliably get the same results, we were looking at a couple hours on a quantum computer and a big question mark on the classical side of things," Dreyer said. Helios-1's reliability stems from its qubits, which in tests sustained 94 error-proof qubits linked by quantum entanglement—a record in the field.
Experts praise the work but urge caution. Eduardo Ibarra García Padilla at Harvey Mudd College calls the results promising yet in need of benchmarking against top classical simulations. Steve White at the University of California, Irvine, sees quantum tools as potentially complementary for studying dynamic material behaviors, though early-stage barriers persist. "They are on the way to becoming useful simulating tools in condensed matter [physics]," White said, "but they're still in the early stages."
The study, detailed in arXiv (DOI: 10.48550/arXiv.2511.02125), marks progress toward quantum advantages in unraveling superconductivity.