Probing the Kitaev honeycomb model on a neutral-atom quantum computer

Simon J. Evered, Marcin Kalinowski, Alexandra A. Geim, Tom Manovitz, Dolev Bluvstein, Sophie H. Li, Nishad Maskara, Hengyun Zhou, Sepehr Ebadi, Muqing Xu, Joseph Campo, Madelyn Cain, Stefan Ostermann, Susanne F. Yelin, Subir Sachdev, Markus Greiner, Vladan Vuletić and Mikhail D. Lukin ()
Additional contact information
Simon J. Evered: Harvard University
Marcin Kalinowski: Harvard University
Alexandra A. Geim: Harvard University
Tom Manovitz: Harvard University
Dolev Bluvstein: Harvard University
Sophie H. Li: Harvard University
Nishad Maskara: Harvard University
Hengyun Zhou: Harvard University
Sepehr Ebadi: Harvard University
Muqing Xu: Harvard University
Joseph Campo: QuEra Computing Inc.
Madelyn Cain: Harvard University
Stefan Ostermann: Harvard University
Susanne F. Yelin: Harvard University
Subir Sachdev: Harvard University
Markus Greiner: Harvard University
Vladan Vuletić: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Mikhail D. Lukin: Harvard University

Nature, 2025, vol. 645, issue 8080, 341-347

Abstract: Abstract Quantum simulations of many-body systems are among the most promising applications of quantum computers1. In particular, models based on strongly correlated fermions are central to our understanding of quantum chemistry and materials problems2, and can lead to exotic, topological phases of matter3,4. However, owing to the non-local nature of fermions, such models are challenging to simulate with qubit devices5. Here we realize a digital quantum simulation architecture for two-dimensional fermionic systems based on reconfigurable atom arrays6. We utilize a fermion-to-qubit mapping based on Kitaev’s model on a honeycomb lattice3, in which fermionic statistics are encoded using long-range entangled states7. We prepare these states efficiently using measurement8 and feedforward9, realize subsequent fermionic evolution through Floquet engineering10,11 with tunable entangling gates12 interspersed with atom rearrangement, and improve results with built-in error detection. Leveraging this fermion description of the Kitaev spin model, we efficiently prepare topological states across its complex phase diagram13 and verify the non-Abelian spin-liquid phase3 by evaluating an odd Chern number14,15. We further explore this two-dimensional fermion system by realizing tunable dynamics and directly probing fermion exchange statistics. Finally, we simulate strong interactions and study the dynamics of the Fermi–Hubbard model on a square lattice. These results pave the way for digital quantum simulations of complex fermionic systems for materials science, chemistry16 and high-energy physics17.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-09475-0

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