Solving non-Hermitian physics for optical manipulation on a quantum computer

Intense laser light, with its ability to trap small particles, is providing us unprecedented access to the microscopic world. Nevertheless, owing to its open nature, optical force is nonconservative and can only be described by a non-Hermitian theory. This non-Hermiticity sets such system apart from conventional systems and has offered rich physics, such as the possession of the exceptional points. Consequently, analyzing and demonstrating the dynamics of large optically-bound clusters becomes an intricate challenge. Here, we developed a scalable quantum approach that allows us to predict the trajectories of optically trapped particles and tackle the associated non-Hermitian physics. This approach is based on the linear combination of unitary operations. With this, we experimentally revealed the non-Hermiticity and exceptional point for a single or multiple particles trapped by optical force fields, using a nuclear magnetic resonance quantum processor. Our method's scalability and stability have offering a promising path for large-scale optical manipulation with non-Hermitian dynamics.