Quantum Simulators for Fundamental Physics

Black holes and the early Universe are about to be shrunk down to tabletop size in the laboratory. Physicists have already built experimental "simulators" that mimic extreme cosmic conditions—such as the crushing gravity around a black hole—using carefully controlled systems of fluids or light. These analogues have successfully tested predictions of Einstein’s general relativity that would otherwise be impossible to verify directly, because the actual densities and energies involved are far too high to reproduce on Earth. Now, researchers plan to take the next step: using recent advances in quantum technology to build quantum simulators that operate at scales where quantum effects dominate. This would allow them to study processes that remain deeply mysterious, such as how quantum mechanics and gravity interact near a black hole’s event horizon or during the Universe’s first moments. This is fundamental science with no immediate practical application. But past work on analogue gravity simulators has already sharpened understanding of phenomena like Hawking radiation, and quantum simulators could reveal entirely new physics. Historically, such deep dives into the fabric of reality—from quantum mechanics to general relativity—have eventually led to technologies like GPS, lasers, and semiconductors. A clearer picture of how quantum fields behave in curved spacetime could, in the long run, inform everything from quantum computing to novel sensing systems.