When classical supercomputers are overwhelmed by the complex evolution of strongly correlated quantum many-body systems, can we take a different approach and build a "simulator" in the laboratory to directly solve these problems? On the morning of Tuesday, November 3, 2026, the 20th IOPP Colloquium was held at Lecture Hall 9409, Building 9, Central China Normal University. Professor Zhensheng Yuan from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) delivered an excellent talk addressing this very question, titled "Quantum Simulation of Lattice Gauge Theory".

Professor Yuan pointed out that with advances in laser cooling technology and the experimental realization of quantum phase transitions in Bose-Einstein condensates and optical lattices, ultracold atom physics has become a bridge connecting microscopic physical mechanisms with emergent macroscopic phenomena of condensed matter. It can be employed to simulate strongly correlated quantum many-body systems and gauge field theory equations, playing a driving role in cutting-edge fundamental physics and applied science. The talk introduced recent progress in ultracold atom research, discussing deep cooling of ultracold atoms in optical lattices, construction of strongly correlated artificial quantum materials, and microscopic studies aimed at tackling complex quantum many-body problems intractable for classical supercomputers, such as phase transitions, topological structures of entangled states, and lattice gauge theory problems. The talk was accessible and inspiring, sparking keen interest and active discussion among the audience.

The IOPP Colloquium is a series of academic activities organized by the Institute of Particle Physics for all faculty and students, with a popular-science and inspirational character, aimed at strengthening the academic ecosystem and collaborative atmosphere. This colloquium allowed the audience to gain an in-depth understanding of the frontiers of quantum simulation of lattice gauge theories and further energized academic exchange at IOPP.

Prof. Xin-Nian Wang, Director of C3NT and IOPP, presented Prof. Zhensheng Yuan with the 20th IOPP Colloquium Commemorative plaque

Zhensheng Yuan  is a Professor of Physics at USTC, Senior Research Fellow at the Hefei National Laboratory, and New Cornerstone Investigator. He received his bachelor's and doctoral degrees from the Department of Modern Physics, USTC, in 1998 and 2003, respectively, and then joined USTC as a lecturer. Starting in 2006, he worked at the Physics Institute of Heidelberg University in Germany as a postdoctoral researcher, Alexander von Humboldt Fellow, and senior researcher successively. He was selected for the Talent Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2011, awarded the Distinguished Young Scientist Fund from the National Natural Science Foundation of China in 2021, and enrolled by the New Cornerstone Investigator Program in 2025. His research focuses on manipulation of ultracold atoms and applications in quantum computing and simulation of strongly correlated many-body problems. He proposed and implemented a deepcooling mechanism for low-temperature Mott insulator states, generated scalable large-scale atomic qubit entanglement, and observed four-body exchange interactions with anyonic excitations; built a 71-site quantum simulator for 1D lattice gauge theories; developed quantum memory techniques for quantum repeaters. His findings have been published in Nature, Science, Nature Physics, and PRL.

Group Photo of the 20th IOPP Colloquium

Correspondent | Xiangyu Shui

Editted by | Xiangyu Shui

Proofreader | Wenyang Qian, Xin-Nian Wang