IonQ and the University of WashingtonSimulate Process Linked To The Universe’s Matter-Antimatter Imbalance
Quantum computer simulation of a symmetry-breaking phenomena has potential to advance the frontier of quantum-enabled fundamental physics.
COLLEGE PARK, Md.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
IonQ (NYSE: IONQ), a leading commercial quantum computing and networking company, today announced the first known simulation using a quantum computer of a process called “neutrinoless double-beta decay” with profound implications for understanding the universe’s imbalance between matter and antimatter.
The Big Bang should have made equal amounts of matter and antimatter. However, almost everything we see is made of matter, and there’s very little antimatter around. One of the biggest questions in physics is: what happened to the missing antimatter? Scientists are looking for the root cause of this imbalance to uncover insights into the fundamental laws of physics.
Using IonQ’s Forte Enterprise quantum system, researchers observed in real-time what’s known as a “lepton-number violation,” a phenomenon never directly simulated before on a quantum computer, providing further evidence that quantum computers may be able to model fundamental physics processes beyond the reach of classical systems. This demonstration opens a new path in the global efforts to understand why the universe is composed predominantly of matter rather than antimatter. The hypothesized “neutrinoless double-beta decay” nuclear process suggests that neutrinos are their own antiparticles and that violates a principle in the Standard Model of particle physics.
This technique allows scientists to use quantum computers and simulate the nuclear dynamics on the shortest of time-scales (10−24 seconds). This is shorter even than the femto-second (10−15 seconds) imaging demonstrations in the 1990s, which gave chemists new insights into chemical reactions, and revealed how atoms re-arrange during the breaking and formation of chemical bonds. Similar scientific breakthroughs could be enabled by this new quantum computing technique, with potential applications to high-energy physics laboratories around the globe.
“This achievement reinforces IonQ’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of what quantum computing can accomplish,” said Niccolo de Masi, CEO of IonQ. “By simulating a fundamental physics process so rare it’s never been observed in nature, we’re showing that quantum computers are not just theoretical tools. They’re engines of discovery.”
The simulation was conducted in collaboration with researchers from the University of Washington’s InQubator for Quantum Simulation (IQuS) and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Quantum Science Center. The team employed a co-designed approach, customized for taking full advantage of IonQ’s quantum hardware capabilities, including all-to-all connectivity, and native gates at the core of IonQ’s trapped-ion architecture. This allowed for the efficient mapping of the problem onto Forte-generation systems using 32 qubits, with an additional 4 qubits used for error mitigation. Novel quantum circuit compilation and error-mitigation techniques supported this large simulation with 2,356 two-qubit gates, resulting in high-precision observations.
“This work represents a critical first step in exploring the re-arrangement of quarks and gluons in this fundamental and complex decay-mode of a nucleus on yocto-second time-scales (10-24) seconds),” said Martin Savage, Professor of Physics at the University of Washington and head of the InQubator for Quantum Simulation (IQuS). “This was the culmination of a year-long co-design effort between IonQ and IQuS, centered around IonQ’s forefront trapped-ion quantum computers.”
The findings not only validate the use of quantum modeling in nuclear and particle physics but also set the stage for future research into other processes where lepton number violation may occur. As hardware capabilities grow, IonQ aims to expand these techniques to explore other symmetry-breaking phenomena and advance the frontier of quantum-enabled fundamental physics. The full findings and research paper are available at https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.05757.
About IonQ
IonQ, Inc. is a leading commercial quantum computing and networking company, delivering high-performance systems aimed at solving the world’s largest and most complex commercial and research use cases. IonQ’s current generation quantum computers, IonQ Forte and IonQ Forte Enterprise, are the latest in a line of cutting-edge systems and represent the forefront of the company’s technological roadmap as it advances toward its goal of building quantum computers with 2 million physical qubits by 2030. The company’s innovative technology and rapid growth were recognized in Newsweek’s 2025 Excellence Index 1000, Forbes’ 2025 Most Successful Mid-Cap Companies list, and Built In’s 2025 100 Best Midsize Places to Work in Washington DC and Seattle, respectively. Available through all major cloud providers, IonQ is making quantum computing more accessible and impactful than ever before. Learn more at IonQ.com.
IonQ Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Some of the forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking words. Statements that are not historical in nature, including the words “advance,” “aimed,” “aims,” “available,” “commitment,” “can,” “could,” “critical,” “cutting-edge,” “delivering,” “expand,” “explore,” “exploring,” “forefront,” “frontier,” “future,” “grow,” “implications,” “latest,” “leading,” “may,” “opens,” “path,” “possible,” “pushing,” “solving,” and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements include those related to the IonQ’s quantum computing capabilities and plans; IonQ’s technology driving commercial quantum advantage or delivering scalable, fault-tolerant quantum computing in the future; the relevance and utility of quantum algorithms and applications run on IonQ’s quantum computers; the necessity, effectiveness, and future impacts of IonQ’s offerings available today; and the scalability, fidelity, efficiency, accessibility, effectiveness, importance, reliability, precision, performance, speed, impact, practicality, feasibility, and commercial-readiness of IonQ’s offerings. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections, and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this press release, including but not limited to: IonQ’s ability to implement its technical roadmap; changes in the competitive industries in which IonQ operates, including development of competing technologies; IonQ’s ability to deliver, and customers’ ability to generate, value from IonQ’s offerings; IonQ’s ability to deliver higher speed and fidelity gates with fewer errors, enhance information transfer and network accuracy, or reduce noise and errors; IonQ’s ability to sell effectively to governmental organizations and large enterprises; IonQ’s ability to implement its business plans, forecasts, roadmaps and other expectations, to identify and realize partnerships and opportunities, and to engage new and existing customers; IonQ’s ability to effectively enter new markets; IonQ’s ability to deliver services and products within currently anticipated timelines; IonQ’s customers deciding or declining to extend contracts into new phases; changes in U.S. government spending or policy that may affect IonQ’s customers; and risks associated with U.S. government sales, including availability of funding and provisions that allow the government to unilaterally terminate or modify contracts for convenience. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties disclosed in the Company’s filings, including but not limited to those described in the “Risk Factors” section of IonQ’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and reports on Form 10-Q. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and IonQ assumes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. IonQ does not give any assurance that it will achieve its expectations.
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