Mr. Spencer Fallek
Quantum Systems Group, Georgia Tech Research Institute

Abstract: With the advent of very-large-scale integration (VLSI), we have seen incredible improvements in computational power over the past four decades. However, there are certain problems which are untenable even with the most advanced computing resources available to us today and in the foreseeable future. A few of these key problems can be solved via a quantum computer using quantum bits (qubits). Two main problems of interest are simulating quantum systems for chemical dynamics, and factoring large numbers for cryptography. In the Quantum Information Systems group at GTRI, we have been working on developing a quantum computer with trapped-ion qubits. In this talk, I will discuss the efforts at GTRI to scale up such a quantum processor and the technical challenges that lie ahead. I will highlight novel ion trap designs, as well as preliminary work towards elementary quantum algorithms that surpass their classical counterpart.

Bio: Spencer Fallek has been working on quantum information technologies for the past four years. He joined GTRI’s Quantum Systems Group in 2013 as a Research Scientist.  Prior to that, he was a student at Duke University in the Multifunctional Integrated Systems Technology group. His research interests include atomic physics, quantum information, and low-noise analog and digital hardware for quantum control.