Overview

To pioneer the future of quantum science, it is essential to integrate insights across diverse fields—including materials, the universe, computation, and mathematics. This project brings together the Interdisciplinary Theoretical and Mathematical Sciences Program (iTHEMS) at RIKEN and the NSF Physics Frontier Center (N3AS) at UC Berkeley. Focusing on four closely connected research areas—quantum materials, quantum computing, quantum universe, and quantum mathematics—we promote international and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Through long-term researcher exchange programs and joint workshops, this initiative fosters close collaboration between Japanese and U.S. scientists. Our aim is to cultivate the next generation of quantum scientists and generate transformative research outcomes.

Research Areas

Quantum Materials

  • Emergent phenomena in strongly correlated quark systems
    We investigate how quarks and gluons give rise to nuclei and hadronic matter through first-principles lattice QCD calculations. This international collaboration leverages supercomputers and quantum computers to explore universal properties of hadron interactions.

  • Universality of quantum thermalization dynamics
    We study the universality of thermalization in isolated quantum systems using both theoretical models—incorporating impurities and dissipation—and artificial quantum systems. Bilateral exchanges among young researchers deepen U.S.–Japan collaboration.

  • Many-body studies in nuclear and gauge theories
    Through mutual visits between researchers, we advance the study of quantum many-body systems governed by effective field theory and non-equilibrium gauge theory, uncovering shared theoretical structures across quantum materials.

Quantum Computing

  • Quantum algorithm development in the NISQ era
    We explore meaningful quantum simulations without full error correction and develop novel tensor network methods and quantum–classical hybrid algorithms through U.S.–Japan collaboration.

  • Theory of open quantum systems and error mitigation
    By reinterpreting quantum circuits as open quantum systems, we enhance the theoretical framework for non-Hermitian quantum systems and aim to establish efficient error mitigation techniques.

  • Quantum computing applications to many-body problems
    We apply quantum computing to a variety of many-body systems, including dense QCD matter, supernova neutrinos, and nuclear reactions, pushing the boundaries of computational physics.

Quantum Universe

  • Correlation analysis of gravitational waves and quark matter
    We analyze gravitational waves emitted by neutron star mergers to extract signatures of dense quark matter, using numerical simulations to develop a new observational approach to astrophysics.

  • Quantum simulation of collective neutrino oscillations
    We use quantum computing to model collective neutrino oscillations in high-density environments, aiming for more precise simulations of supernova explosions.

  • Toward a unified theory of quantum gravity and cosmogenesis
    Through approaches like holography and quantum black hole theory, we explore the nature of quantum gravity in the early universe and black hole evaporation from new theoretical perspectives.

Quantum Mathematics

  • Universal structures of topology and quantum phenomena
    Collaborating across physics and mathematics, we study the universal structures shared by quantum many-body systems through topological field theories and non-Hermitian topological phases.

  • Mathematical structures of anyon statistics and quantum computation
    We analyze the entanglement and statistical properties of anyons—key elements in topological quantum computing—through the lens of operator algebras, building a rigorous theoretical foundation for quantum devices.