A central challenge in nuclear physics is understanding quantum many-body systems governed by the strong nuclear force. The inherent complexity of these systems, combined with the limitations of classical computational methods, underscores the need for new approaches to study nuclear structure and dynamics. Here, we demonstrate that a spin-based digital quantum simulator using nuclear magnetic resonance, where nuclear spins simulate interacting fermions, offers a powerful tool to address this challenge. As a first step, we experimentally simulate the Agassi model, which encapsulates the interplay between collective and single-particle behaviors in finite nuclei. By representing nucleons as both bosons (nucleon pairs) and fermions (individual unpaired nucleons), the Agassi model captures highly non-linear interactions and is particularly suited for studying nuclear phase transitions, such as those between spherical and deformed shapes. We experimentally measure the correlation function as an order parameter during the evolution of the many-body system, successfully detecting a quantum phase transition. Specifically, we observe a sharp transition between the symmetric phase and the broken symmetry phase. This work underscores the potential of quantum simulation as a transformative tool in nuclear physics, particularly for exploring complex quantum many-body systems with applications in nuclear structure and reaction dynamics.
A brief review of the history of many-body perturbation theory (MBPT) and its applications in nuclear physics is given. Problems regarding its application to nuclear-structure calculations are discussed and analysed. It is concluded that the usefulness of nuclear MBPT in terms of an expansion in the nuclear reaction matrix G for the calculation of effective interactions in shell-model investigations is severely challenged and restricted by the problems and uncertainties connected with this approach. New methods based on unitary transformation approaches have proven to be more accurate and reliable, particularly for light nuclei.
Atomic nuclei are complex, quantum many-body systems whose structure manifests itself through intrinsic quantum states associated with different excitation modes or degrees of freedom.Collective modes (vibration and/or rotation) dominate at low energy (near the ground-state).The associated states are usually employed, within a truncated model space, as a basis in (coherent) coupled channels approaches to low-energy reaction dynamics.However, excluded non-collective states can be essential, and their effects on the open (nuclear) system dynamics are usually treated through complex potentials.Is this a complete description of open system dynamics?Does it include effects of quantum decoherence?Can decoherence be manifested in reaction observables?This paper discusses these issues and the main ideas of a coupled-channels density-matrix approach that makes it possible to quantify the role and importance of quantum decoherence in low-energy nuclear reaction dynamics.Some topical applications are highlighted.