Surface-electrode ion lattices for quantum information science

Massachusetts Institute Of Technology, Cambridge MA

Investigators

Abstract

A major goal of quantum information science is the creation and manipulation of non-classical correlations (entanglement) in systems consisting of many particles. Such entanglement is increasingly recognized as a valuable physical resource, that can be used for information processing tasks that cannot be easily accomplished with classical computers. Trapped ions provide a superb physical system for creating and storing entanglement, particularly when the ions are confined by microfabricated, precisely defined electrodes. This project will realize large periodic arrays of trapped ions that can store single photons, and release them on demand. The periodic array of ions will also be used to simulate other quantum mechanical systems that cannot be easily modeled classically. This interdisciplinary project by two investigators with backgrounds in physics, electrical engineering, and computer science will draw on students from all three areas, significantly enriching their education experience. The project will unite research and educational goals by training graduate students, and by integrating undergraduate students into the research effort. Students will interface directly with the broader physics community through an existing outreach program in the NSF Center for Ultracold Atoms at MIT. Successful quantum simulation could contribute towards solving scientifically, technologically, and even industrially important problems such as high-temperature superconductivity. The experimental realization of robust quantum information processing could revolutionize the information infrastructure of our society.