The Physics & Astronomy Colloquium Series presents Jed Pixley of Rutgers UniversityMia Kumamoto of Ohio University, discussing "Seeking Order from Chaos: A Classical Twist to Quantum Computers" on Feburary 20.

Abstract: Chaos, the unpredictable behavior that can emerge even in deterministic systems, appears everywhere, from weather patterns to traffic delays. In classical physics, tools for understanding and even harnessing chaos are well established, with applications ranging from navigation to space exploration. But how do these ideas translate to the quantum world, where superposition and entanglement make dynamics far more intricate?

In this talk, I will describe our approach to controlling quantum chaos by adapting classical strategies in a uniquely quantum way: measuring a quantum system and steering its evolution based on the outcomes. Using IBM’s superconducting quantum processor with up to 100 qubits, we implement this protocol and observe a transition from chaotic quantum behavior to ordered, controllable dynamics.