Scientists have used a small quantum simulator to recreate a fundamental process in particle physics in which stored energy can lead to the formation of new particles. The experiment provides researchers with a new way to investigate extreme physical conditions associated with the early universe and high-energy particle collisions.

The research was carried out using a programmable system containing 13 trapped ions. By precisely controlling interactions between the ions with laser beams, scientists were able to reproduce the dynamics of a phenomenon known as string breaking.

The study was published in Nature Physics on September 23, 2026. Researchers say the experiment demonstrates how trapped-ion quantum computers could become useful tools for investigating complex problems in fundamental physics.

What Is String Breaking?

At the most fundamental level, some particles are connected through interactions that can be represented in simplified models as a kind of invisible string.

When the particles are pulled apart, energy builds up in the system. Instead of allowing the separation to continue indefinitely, the accumulated energy can eventually produce additional particle-antiparticle pairs.

The original connection can then break, leaving behind newly formed particles.

This phenomenon is closely related to the behavior of quarks, which are fundamental constituents of protons and neutrons. Quarks are normally confined within composite particles and cannot simply be separated and observed individually.

Recreating Extreme Physics With Ions

The researchers created a quantum model that reproduces key features of this process.

A chain of 13 trapped ions was used as the basis of the simulator. Carefully controlled laser pulses allowed scientists to manipulate the interactions between the ions and adjust the energy of the system.

The experiment began with the quantum system away from its equilibrium state. Scientists then observed how it evolved as energy moved through the simulated system.

The measurements allowed the researchers to track the development of effective charges and the dynamics associated with string breaking.

A Different Way for Particles to Appear

One particularly interesting aspect of the experiment was how the simulated particle pairs developed.

Rather than simply appearing uniformly throughout the system, the researchers observed dynamics in which charge pairs emerged near the edges of the simulated string and then propagated inward.

This behavior provides additional information about how particle production can occur in a controlled quantum system.

The result gives scientists an experimental platform for studying processes that are extremely difficult to observe directly under natural conditions.

Connection With the Early Universe

The process is relevant to the physics of the very early universe, when temperatures and energy densities were extraordinarily high.

Shortly after the Big Bang, the universe contained matter in conditions that cannot be recreated on an ordinary laboratory scale.

Quantum simulation does not recreate the Big Bang itself. Instead, it allows researchers to reproduce mathematical models describing particular physical processes believed to occur under extreme conditions.

This provides a controlled environment in which scientists can investigate how matter behaves when quantum effects and high-energy interactions become important.

Why Quantum Computers Matter

Conventional computers can simulate relatively small versions of these models, and the researchers compared their quantum results with classical calculations.

The two approaches showed agreement for the scale studied in the experiment.

However, the computational requirements increase rapidly as the physical systems become larger and more complicated.

Scientists therefore see quantum computers as a potential future tool for studying real-time quantum-field dynamics that could become difficult for classical supercomputers to calculate.

The current experiment remains a simplified model and does not reproduce the complete three-dimensional theory of quantum chromodynamics. Nevertheless, it demonstrates an important experimental route toward more sophisticated simulations.

More Quantum Platforms Study the Same Physics

The Duke-led experiment is part of a broader development in quantum simulation.

Other research teams have recently investigated related string-breaking phenomena using different types of quantum hardware, including superconducting circuits and neutral-atom systems.

The appearance of similar physics across different platforms provides researchers with opportunities to compare approaches and understand the strengths and limitations of each technology.

Toward Fundamental Physics on Quantum Machines

The new experiment shows how quantum technology is moving beyond demonstrations of computing principles and into specialized scientific research.

As quantum hardware becomes larger and more reliable, researchers hope to simulate increasingly complicated physical systems.

Future versions could help scientists investigate questions about particle formation, quantum-field dynamics and the behavior of matter under conditions that are difficult or impossible to reproduce directly.

For now, the 13-ion experiment represents a controlled laboratory demonstration rather than a complete simulation of the universe. But it offers another step toward using quantum machines to explore some of the deepest questions about how matter behaves at its most fundamental level.