Southwest Quantum Information and Technology

Trapped-ion metastable qubits: the scheme and scattering errors

Presenting Author: Isam Moore, University of Oregon
Contributing Author(s): David T. C. Allcock, Wes C. Campbell, Eric R. Hudson, David J. Wineland,

While all of the basic primitives required for universal quantum computing (QC) have been demonstrated in trapped-ion qubits with high fidelity, it is currently not possible to simultaneously realize the highest achieved fidelities in a single ion species - typically two species are required. This is a serious impediment to the development of practical quantum computers. However, there is the possibility for achieving high-fidelity, full functionality in a single species: augmentation of an existing species with new functionality via novel encoding schemes in metastable states (“m-type qubits”). This allows for user-selectable, ion-specific activation of the necessary functions on demand (e.g. information storage, qubit coupling to motion, cooling, and state preparation and measurement). Photon scattering is a common source of error in such schemes and has been investigated in more common ion-trap QC architectures; however, photon-scattering-induced errors have not yet been characterized in m-type qubits, where large detuning requirements necessitate including effects which have been ignored in past studies of qubit schemes in smaller detuning regimes. We present an introduction to the m-type scheme as well as calculations of scattering errors in m-type qubit gates. This research was supported by the U.S. Army Research Office through grant W911NF-20-1-0037.

(Session 5 : Thursday from 12:00pm-2:00 pm)