Ion-trap quantum information processing: experimental status

Atomic ions trapped in ultra-high vacuum form an especially well-understood and useful physical system for quantum information processing. They provide excellent shielding of quantum information from environmental noise, while strong, well-controlled laser interactions readily provide quantum logic gates. A number of basic quantum information protocols have been demonstrated with trapped ions. Much current work aims at the construction of large-scale ion-trap quantum computers using complex microfabricated trap arrays. Several groups are also actively pursuing quantum interfacing of trapped ions with photons.Comment: review article for Frontiers of Physics replace corrupted TeX fil

Theory of Quantum Path Computing with Fourier Optics and Future Applications for Quantum Supremacy, Neural Networks and Nonlinear Schr\"odinger Equations

The scalability, error correction and practical problem solving are important challenges for quantum computing (QC) as more emphasized by quantum supremacy (QS) experiments. Quantum path computing (QPC), recently introduced for linear optic based QCs (LOQCs) as an unconventional design, targets to obtain scalability and practical problem solving. It samples the intensity from the interference of exponentially increasing number of propagation paths obtained in multi-plane diffraction (MPD) of classical particle sources. QPC exploits MPD based quantum temporal correlations of the paths and freely entangled projections a<t different time instants, for the first time, with the classical light source and intensity measurement while not requiring photon interactions or single photon sources and receivers. In this article, photonic QPC is defined, theoretically modeled and numerically analyzed for arbitrary Fourier optical or quadratic phase set-ups while utilizing both Gaussian and Hermite-Gaussian source laser modes. Problem solving capabilities already including partial sum of Riemann theta functions are extended. Important future applications, implementation challenges and open issues such as universal computation and quantum circuit implementations determining the scope of QC capabilities are discussed. The applications include QS experiments reaching more than $2^{100}$ Feynman paths, quantum neuron implementations and solutions of nonlinear Schr\"odinger equation.Comment: This is the author accepted copy of the original article published and fully edited in https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-67364-

Technologies for trapped-ion quantum information systems

Scaling-up from prototype systems to dense arrays of ions on chip, or vast networks of ions connected by photonic channels, will require developing entirely new technologies that combine miniaturized ion trapping systems with devices to capture, transmit and detect light, while refining how ions are confined and controlled. Building a cohesive ion system from such diverse parts involves many challenges, including navigating materials incompatibilities and undesired coupling between elements. Here, we review our recent efforts to create scalable ion systems incorporating unconventional materials such as graphene and indium tin oxide, integrating devices like optical fibers and mirrors, and exploring alternative ion loading and trapping techniques.Comment: 19 pages, 18 figure

A micro-optical module for multi-wavelength addressing of trapped ions

The control of large-scale quantum information processors based on arrays of trapped ions requires a means to route and focus multiple laser beams to each of many trapping sites in parallel. Here, we combine arrays of fibres, 3D laser-written waveguides and diffractive microlenses to demonstrate the principle of a micro-optic interconnect suited to this task. The module is intended for use with an ion microtrap of 3D electrode geometry. It guides ten independent laser beams with unique trajectories to illuminate a pair of spatially separated target points. Three blue and two infrared beams converge to overlap precisely at each desired position. Typical relative crosstalk intensities in the blue are $3.6 \times 10^{-3}$ and the average insertion loss across all channels is $8~$dB. The module occupies $\sim 10^4$ times less volume than a conventional bulk-optic equivalent and is suited to different ion species

Absorption imaging of a single atom

Absorption imaging has played a key role in the advancement of science from van Leeuwenhoek's discovery of red blood cells to modern observations of dust clouds in stellar nebulas and Bose-Einstein condensates. Here we show the first absorption imaging of a single atom isolated in vacuum. The optical properties of atoms are thoroughly understood, so a single atom is an ideal system for testing the limits of absorption imaging. A single atomic ion was confined in an RF Paul trap and the absorption imaged at near wavelength resolution with a phase Fresnel lens. The observed image contrast of 3.1(3)% is the maximum theoretically allowed for the imaging resolution of our setup. The absorption of photons by single atoms is of immediate interest for quantum information processing (QIP). Our results also point out new opportunities in imaging of light-sensitive samples both in the optical and x-ray regimes.Comment: Accepted to Nature Commu