CAREER: ColleqtIon: Collective Ion Optical Interconnects for Quantum Computing

Many problems in material science, chemistry and nuclear physics whose solutions promise to transform society and our view of the universe, are quantum in nature. Confronted with complex quantum phenomena, classical computers quickly run out of steam. By utilizing quantum mechanics, quantum computers promise to tackle the development of high-temperature superconductors, improve chemical catalysis, and explain the structure of compact stars and nuclei. While quantum computers based on trapped atomic ions feature leading low error rates, to perform complex calculations, we need to accurately control many more ions than is currently possible. The ColleqtIon project will support my effort scale up trapped-ion systems by manipulating and connecting trapped ions using light. The ColleqtIon project will leverage my experience in quantum science and the resources of my research group to improve undergraduate education through hands-on experience and curriculum development. My outreach effort to colleges in North Carolina will help recruit a train a broad quantum workforce, while a partnership with industry on optical alignment techniques will help develop commercial applications. The first goal of ColleqtIon will be to pin in place barium ions using a standing light wave, manipulate these ions using lasers, and use them for quantum simulations of condensed-matter and high-energy physics. In the second thrust, I plan to connect groups of ions on the same trap chip using photons stored in an optical resonator. This photonic approach may scale to hundreds of ions, improving the scale and connectivity of ion-based quantum computers. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.