Simulator finds proof of higher-order quantum topology

The work moves beyond materials characterized by local order parameters. By reconstructing complex propagators from real-space measurements, the team obtained both boundary and bulk characterizations, culminating in the extraction of a three-dimensional octupole moment through third nested Wilson loops. These results establish a route to realizing, characterizing, and manipulating topologically protected states in programmable three-dimensional quantum matter. The experimental validation of higher-order bulk-boundary correspondence occurred using up to 728 qubits within a superconducting analogue-digital quantum simulator constructed by D-Wave Quantum in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. This simulator enabled the realization and probing of a hierarchy encompassing one-, two- and three-dimensional topological insulators, all governed by effective tight-binding Hamiltonians. The work extends beyond simply detecting localized boundary modes spectroscopically, a technique reliant on local density…