Trapped Ion - Cutting-Edge Quantum Computing Technology

Schedule (EDT):

10:30 am: Welcome and introduction

10:40 am: Prof. Christopher Monroe (Co-Founder & Chief Scientist at IonQ & Duke University)

11:10 am: Prof. Roee Ozeri (The Weizmann Institute)

11:40 am: Prof. Jonathan Home (ETH Zurich)

12:10 pm: Dr. Dietrich G. Leibfried (NIST)

12:40 pm: Prof. David Lucas (University of Oxford)

01:10 pm: Dr. Patty Lee (Chief Scientist for Technology Development at Honeywell)

01:40 pm: Panel of Experts

Schedule (IDT):

17:30: Welcome and introduction

17:40: Prof. Christopher Monroe (Co-Founder & Chief Scientist at IonQ & Duke University)

18:10: Prof. Roee Ozeri (The Weizmann Institute)

18:40: Prof. Jonathan Home (ETH Zurich)

19:10: Dr. Dietrich G. Leibfried (NIST)

19:40: Prof. David Lucas (University of Oxford)

20:10: Dr. Patty Lee (Chief Scientist for Technology Development at Honeywell)

20:40: Panel of Experts

Hosts:

Dr. Asif Sinay (Co-founder and CEO at Qedma)

Dr. Shlomi Kotler (The Hebrew University & Qedma)

Details:

1. Speaker: Prof. Christopher Monroe (Co-Founder & Chief Scientist at IonQ & Duke University)

Title: “Ion Trap Quantum Computers: Ready for Scale”

Bio: Christopher Monroe is Professor of ECE and Physics at Duke University and the co-Founder and Chief Scientist of IonQ, Inc. Monroe is an atomic physicist and quantum engineer, specializing in the isolation of individual atoms for applications in quantum information science. Monroe’s research group pioneered all aspects of trapped atomic ion based quantum computers, making the first steps toward a scalable, reconfigurable, and modular quantum computer system. In 2016, he co-founded IonQ, a startup company leading the way in the fabrication of full-stack quantum computers. Monroe is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and is one of the key architects of the U.S. National Quantum Initiative passed by Congress in 2018.

2. Speaker: Prof. Roee Ozeri (The Weizmann Institute)

Title: “Spectral engineering techniques in trapped-ion quantum computing and quantum simulations”

3. Speaker: Prof. Jonathan Home (ETH Zurich)

Title: “Approaches to scaling trapped-ion quantum computing”

I will describe recent work which attempts to provide new approaches for bridging the divide between current scale trapped-ion systems and the realm of useful fault-tolerant computers. In recent experimental work, we have used waveguides integrated into a trap chip to deliver light to ions trapped 50 micron above the surface, demonstrating the use of a two-qubit quantum logic gate to produce a Bell state with 99.3(2)% fidelity. This approach allows fibers to be plugged into the chip, providing significant advantages for scaling. In a further chip, we are exploring the use of a standing wave field produced using the integrated optics to control the ions, which may allow standard gate methods to be speeded up. I will also describe progress towards scaling using micro-fabricated Penning traps, which would eliminate a number of problems which plague ion trap quantum computing stemming from the use of radio-frequency fields for trapping.

Bio: Jonathan Home leads the trapped-ion quantum computing group at ETH Zürich, as well as the ion-trap unit of the Quantum Computing Hub at the Paul Scherrer Institute. His research focuses on the implementation of error-correction in trapped-ion systems, as well as developing and utilising new capabilities through the exploration of new technological approaches.

4. Speaker: Dr. Dietrich G. Leibfried (NIST)

Title: "Experiments Toward Large Scale and Fault Tolerance with Trapped Ions at NIST"

5. Speaker: Prof. David Lucas (University of Oxford)

Title: "Networking trapped-ion qubits for quantum computing, communication and clocks"

We have recently constructed a two-node quantum network, allowing optical interfacing of trapped-ion qubits. Entangled states of qubits can be prepared via the network link with both high fidelity (94%) and high rate (180/second). As well as a method of scaling up quantum computers, such a network link has applications for quantum key distribution and entanglement-enhanced spectroscopy for comparing optical atomic clocks.

Bio: David Lucas co-leads the ion trap QC group at Oxford. As well as quantum networking, the group has worked on improving the speed and fidelity of elementary quantum logic operations, and developing microfabricated chip traps for electronically-driven logic. He previously worked on cold atoms in optical lattices, and precision measurements for tests of fundamental physics.

6. Speaker: Dr. Patty Lee (Chief Scientist for Technology Development at Honeywell)

Title: "High Performance Commercial Trapped Ion Quantum Computers based on the QCCD Architecture"

Honeywell Quantum Solutions launched its first commercial trapped-ion quantum computer in 2020, designed around the quantum charge-coupled device (QCCD) architecture. By applying fast transport operations to reorder and position ion qubits across multiple trapping zones simultaneously on the device, the QCCD architecture creates a fully-connected, high fidelity, and scalable quantum computer. These systems offer the unique capability of performing conditional quantum operations dependent on mid-circuit measurement outcomes, and qubits can be re-used in the same circuit after measurements. This feature allows users to perform efficient quantum simulations and execute repeated cycles of quantum error correction, which was demonstrated for the first time on System Model H1. Recently, the system became the first quantum computer to pass the quantum volume 1024 benchmark, the largest quantum volume ever measured on a commercial quantum computer. Future generation systems will incorporate new technologies such as 2D trap architectures and integrated photonics, in order to scale the number of physical qubits and further increase system performance.

Bio: Patty Lee is the Chief Scientist for Technology Development at Honeywell Quantum Solutions, where she leads the technology roadmap efforts to scale up trapped ion quantum computers. She received her PhD in physics from University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where she developed phase control techniques for quantum logic gates in trapped ions. Prior to joining Honeywell, she worked as a research scientist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, US Army Research Laboratory, and Lockheed Martin. Since joining Honeywell in 2016, her work has focused on the quantum charge-coupled device (QCCD) architecture for trapped ion quantum computers.