This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Scientists could have a new way to explore the hidden behavior of matter, thanks to research involving Queen Mary University of London that uses a quantum computer to carry out a new form of computational spectroscopy. Spectroscopy is an important scientific technique used to understand the properties of matter.
By analyzing how materials and molecules respond to energy or light, researchers can gain insights into their structure and behavior. Computational approaches can complement these experiments by allowing scientists to investigate and predict properties using theoretical models and simulations. However, quantum systems can be exceptionally difficult to model using conventional computers.
The new research, published in Nature Communications, develops a generalized approach to quantum computational spectroscopy that allows researchers to study a much broader range of quantum systems. The method can be used not only for relatively simple, static systems but also for systems that are affected by their environment or change over time. The researchers reconstructed a key measure of quantum behavior using a quantum computing technique known as an ancilla-assisted Hadamard test.
The researchers used the method to investigate unusual quantum phenomena, including parity-time symmetry breaking and topological holonomy. These examples demonstrate how quantum computational spectroscopy could provide insights into quantum behavior that are difficult to access using conventional spectroscopy or existing quantum approaches. The work could ultimately be relevant to areas including physics, chemistry and materials science.
Computational spectroscopy can help researchers investigate the properties of real or hypothetical materials before they are produced experimentally, with potential applications in areas such as molecular engineering, drug design and advanced materials research. Jinzhao Sun, from the School of Physical and Chemical Sciences at Queen Mary University of London, led the theoretical aspect of the study. The research represents a step toward using quantum computers not simply to perform calculations but to serve as tools for exploring and understanding the behavior of complex quantum systems.
As quantum computing technology develops, approaches such as this could provide scientists with new ways to investigate phenomena that are difficult to reproduce or calculate using conventional methods. Chonghao Zhai et al, Generalised quantum computational spectroscopy on a quantum chip, Nature Communications (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-74936-7 Journal information: Nature Communications Provided by Queen Mary, University of London Bachelor's in mathematical biology, Master's in creative writing.
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