Springing simulations forward with quantum computing

Though “coupled oscillations” may not sound familiar, they are everywhere in nature. The term “coupled harmonic oscillators” describes interacting systems of masses and springs, but their utility in science and engineering does not end there. They describe mechanical systems like bridges, the bonds between atoms, and even gravitational tidal effects between the Earth and the moon. Understanding such problems allows us to probe a correspondingly huge range of systems from chemistry to engineering to materials science and beyond.