PI/IQC Joint Colloquium on Zoom, featuring Norbert Matthias Linke, University of Maryland
We present a quantum architecture based on a linear chain of trapped 171Yb+ ions with individual laser beam addressing and readout. The collective modes of motion in the chain are used to efficiently produce entangling gates between any qubit pair. In combination with a classical software stack, this becomes in effect an arbitrarily programmable and fully connected quantum computer. The system compares favorably to commercially available alternatives [2].
We use this versatile setup to perform a quantum walk algorithm that realizes a simulation of the free Dirac equation where the quantum coin determines the particle mass [3]. We are also pursuing digital simulations towards models relevant in high-energy physics among other applications. Recent results from these efforts, and concepts for expanding and scaling up the architecture will be discussed.
[1] S. Debnath et al., Nature 563:63 (2016); P. Murali et al., IEEE Micro, 40:3 (2020); [3] C. Huerta Alderete et al., Nat. Communs. 11:3720 (2020).
Zoom Link: Click here
BIO:
Norbert M. Linke is a Fellow of the Joint Quantum Institute at the University of Maryland, working on quantum applications with trapped ions, including quantum computing. Born in Munich, Germany, he graduated from the University of Ulm, Germany, and received his doctorate at the University of Oxford, UK, working on micro-fabricated ion-traps and microwave-addressing of ions. Before becoming a faculty member, he spent four years as a post-doc and research scientist in the group of Chris Monroe at the JQI where he led a project that turned a physics experiment into a programmable quantum computer.