Photonic simulation of disordered spin systems on a silicon chip

The ability to simulate physical systems is essential for an understanding of their physical properties and advancing related technologies. However, simulating certain complex systems at scale, including many-body spin models, is often a significant challenge for conventional computing approaches. Quantum simulators, employing controlled quantum systems that mimic the dynamics of a target system, can offer a more efficient approach. This work demonstrates the use of photonic circuits for quantum simulation of disordered spin systems, where quantum properties such as superposition and interference can be leveraged for a more efficient simulation. We fabricate and characterize a low-loss silicon-on-insulator chip with a buried aluminum mirror and a reconfigurable interferometer, which is employed in conjunction with two input photons to map the dynamics of a spin Hamiltonian with four-body interactions. Our results demonstrate several characteristics associated with the target system, such as spin-degenerate ground states and phase transitions, confirming the device’s functionality as a quantum simulator of the spin system.