Quantum technology with nanofabricated ion trap chips

Quantum mechanics will enable powerful applications due to the emergence of new quantum technologies such as the quantum computer. While such a device will likely provide ground breaking commercial and national security applications due to the existence of powerful algorithms, its existence will revolutionize modern day science by allowing true quantum simulations of systems that may be modelled classically only insufficiently due to an in-principle limitation of currentcomputer technology. Recent progress in experiments with trapped single atomic ions shows that it should be possible to build a quantum computer using this technology. A major challenge is the scaling of already existing technology beyond a small number of quantum bits. This fellowship will address the manipulation of single atoms in sophisticated arrays as an architecture for a quantum computer and furthermore, will aim to allow for unprecedented motional control of a large number of single atoms inside such arrays. Single atomic ions will be trapped using electric fields, shuttled inside a complicated array of trap electrodes and manipulated using laser beams. Once we have created this architecture for quantum technology, we will carry out simple quantum simulations using the tools we have developed.As part of this fellowship we will develop techniques to retain and control atoms during shuttling operations along complicated paths inside the array. Furthermore, we will engineer and fabricate such arrays making use of cutting-edge nanofabrication technology. Advances in nanotechnology will be used to engineer complete ion trap chip architectures. The application of state-of-the-art nanotechnology will be vital to develop ion quantum technology beyond proof-of-principle.