Fast Entanglement Swapping and Quantum Logic Implementations on a Modular Quantum Computer Prototype

In the field of quantum computing, information is encoded into quantum mechanical systems. It is possible to employ the quantum mechanical properties of these systems in order to process information at rates that are impossible to match using classical computers. The elementary unit of quantum computing is the qubit or quantum bit, in analogy to the classical bit. A useful quantum computer would need to be able to address millions of such qubits in order to outperform its classical counterpart.

Trapped atomic ions are a well established platform to host qubits. Addressing small numbers of trapped ions has become a reliable procedure over the past decades, however it is infeasible to scale to large numbers of qubits using these traditional procedures due to a variety of hardware and engineering limitations.

At Universal Quantum a modular approach for a trapped ion quantum computer is pursued. The aim is to be able to construct a large scale quantum computer out of individual modules that can perform basic quantum operations as stand alone units. In this approach quantum logic is implemented using global elds and electrical signals, similar to how transistors on classical chips are operated.

My research objective is to demonstrate and characterise the distribution of quantum information in between these individual modules. The aim is to use electrical control signals to transfer qubits from one module to a neighbouring module while the qubits retain their encoded quantum information. A successful demonstration of this process would be a major step towards the realisation of a large scale ion based quantum computer.

The first and most important impact of our Centre will be through the cross-disciplinary technical training it provides for its students. Through this training, they will have not only skills to control and exploit quantum physics in new ways, but also the background in device engineering and information science to bring these ideas to implementation and to seek out new applications. Our commercial and governmental partners tell us how important these skills are in the growing number of people they are hiring in the field of quantum technologies. In the longer term we expect our graduates to be prominent in the development of new technologies and their application to communication, information processing, and measurement science in leading university and government laboratories as well as in commercial research and development. In the shorter term we expect them to be carrying out doctoral research of the highest international quality.

Second, impact will also flow from the students' approach to enterprise and technology transfer. From the outset they will be encouraged to think about the value of intellectual property, the opportunity it provides, and the fundraising needed to support research and development. As students with this mindset come to play a prominent part in university and commercial laboratories, their common background will help to break down the traditional barriers between these sectors and deliver the promise of quantum technologies for the benefit of the UK and world economies. Concrete actions to accelerate this impact will include entrepreneurship training and an annual CDT industry day.

Third, through the participation it nucleates in the training programme and in students' research, the Centre will bring together a community of partners from industry and government laboratories. In the short term this will facilitate new collaborations and networks involving the partners and the students; in the long term it will help to ensure that the supply of highly skilled people from the CDT reaches the parts of industry that need them most.

Finally, the CDT will have a strong impact on the quantum technologies training landscape in the UK. The Centre will organise training events and workshops open to all doctoral researchers to attend. We will also collaborate with CDTs in the quantum technologies and related research areas to coordinate our efforts and maximise our joint impact. Working in consort, these CDTs will form a vibrant national training network benefitting the entire UK doctoral research community.