Summary
Trapped ions are one of the most advanced technologies for quantum computing, offering multi-qubit control in a universal quantum computing architecture and the ability to perform calculations with unprecedented precision. In this project we construct a shared trapped-ion quantum computing platform, QuantumIon, that will enable a broader and interdisciplinary scientific community to access an advanced quantum computing platform, thereby accelerating the discovery of new methods and applications of quantum computing.To this end, we build appropriate control electronics, test the suitability of our chosen barium isotope for multi-qubit operations, and construct a 10-qubit processor and benchmark its performance in collaboration with Joseph Emerson. We then demonstrate quantum algorithms from a variety of applications areas: quantum simulation by Rajibul Islam in collaboration with Christine Muschik, quantum error correction in collaboration with Raymond Laflamme, and characterization of multi-level qudits by Crystal Senko in collaboration with Joseph Emerson and Joel Wallman. The QuantumIon will make trapped ion hardware more automated and accessible to users, opening up a range of new experiments from quantum optics to multi-level qudit manipulation to quantum error correction.
Related Content

Scanning Tunneling Microscopy of Quantum Materials, Devices and Molecules
Summary This project advances our ability to characterize and study novel quantum materials, quantum devices, and even individual molecules at the atomic level. By combining Non-Contact Atomic Force Microscopy (NC-AFM), Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM) and scanning gate methods, we correlate spatial information with transport properties and can locally manipulate charge, spin and structural states. […]
January 28, 2019

Combined momentum- and real-space photoelectric probes of dimensionality-tuned Weyl semimetals
Summary The library of two-dimensional (2D) materials has recently grown to include topological insulators and semimetals. Their incorporation in special device geometries may lead to novel quantum electronics with enhanced functionalities. Weyl semimetals, in particular, offer the most robust form of topological protection. Recent results from our group indicate that Weyl nodes should be […]
March 12, 2019
Novel Superconducting Qubits for Error-Corrected Processors
Summary In this project, we develop novel superconducting qubits for error-corrected processors to enable large-scale quantum computing. Our design efforts will specifically target error-corrected architectures through a variety of paths. Possible features will include built-in parity measurements and the use of bosonic codes, such as Fock state and Cat codes, as our starting focus. Early […]
June 26, 2019

Reliably operating noisy quantum computers
Summary The overall goal of the project is to develop practical methods to be able to reliably run useful applications on near-term quantum computers. This requires identifying and overcoming the ubiquitous errors that currently limit quantum computing capabilities. Traditional methods of quantifying errors in quantum computers fail to predict how errors affect the output of […]
January 22, 2020