{"302781":{"#nid":"302781","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Development of New Ion Traps Advances Quantum Computing Systems","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearch is being conducted worldwide to develop a new type of computational device known as a quantum computer, based on the principles of quantum physics. Quantum computers could tackle specialized computational problems such as integer factorization or big data analysis much faster than conventional digital computers. Quantum computers will use one of a number of possible approaches to create quantum bits \u2013 units known as qubits \u2013 to compute and store data, giving them unique advantages over computers based on silicon transistors.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDespite the great potential, however, quantum computing faces many significant challenges, including controlling the qubits and isolating them from a noisy environment. Scientists and engineers at the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Research Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (GTRI) are helping address those challenges by designing, fabricating and testing new components and devices aimed at supporting international quantum computing efforts.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGTRI\u2019s Quantum Information Systems (QIS) Branch uses individual trapped atomic ions as qubits in its research. In collaboration with university and industry partners, QIS scientists recently demonstrated two new ion traps, including one that uses a system of integrated mirrors to read data from multiple ions. The researchers also advanced concepts for integrating the electronic systems needed to control the ion traps inside the vacuum containers within which the traps operate. The research was sponsored by the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) through the Army Research Office (ARO) and the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe have a wide interest in developing the technologies needed by the field and using those technologies to perform the science needed to make advancements in quantum computing,\u201d said Alexa Harter, chief scientist of GTRI\u2019s Advanced Concepts Laboratory and head of the Quantum Information Systems Branch. \u201cThese are all projects that move us farther along the path of integration and technology development.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOn its website, the Quantum Information Systems Branch displays diagrams for a dozen micro-fabricated ion traps, each with special properties, many of them intended to work with other devices also designed by the group. The planar ion traps are based on silicon VLSI technology and are both fabricated and tested at GTRI. The ion traps and other quantum components developed in GTRI are shared with collaborators and others in the community who are focused on the same goal.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe now have a very impressive tool kit of technologies, techniques and systems that can be integrated for use by us and our collaborators,\u201d said Curtis Volin, a GTRI principal research scientist in the Quantum Information Systems Branch. \u201cOur ultimate objective is to understand what would be necessary to build a quantum computer.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAmong the recent accomplishments:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2022 In collaboration with Griffith University in Australia, researchers developed ion traps with integrated diffractive mirrors. High fidelity ion qubit measurements are performed by collecting laser-induced ion fluorescence, but the speed of these measurements is limited by the ability to collect the emitted light. Integrating micro-mirrors into the traps provides a more efficient way to measure the internal states of the ions by allowing more of the photons they produce to be collected. In conventional ion traps, there is only one large lens to collect data from a single ion.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTo advance quantum computing, not only do you need to trap the ions, but you also need to be able to control them and read information from them,\u201d Volin explained. \u201cWith these integrated mirrors, we can look at as many qubits as we want, eliminating one of the obstacles to quantum research.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe micro-mirror traps have been designed, fabricated and tested.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2022 The researchers have designed a new micro-fabricated ion trap with integrated microwave elements for manipulating the coherent states of ion chains. Directly manipulating qubits with microwave fields reduces system complexity and sensitivity to emission decoherence.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2022 Working with colleagues at Honeywell, the researchers developed a technique for integrating the electronics that control the ion traps into the devices so they can operate within vacuum chambers. That will allow an increase in the number of leads that control the ion trap, and facilitate efforts to scale up the systems to accommodate larger numbers of ions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are taking these components to a new level of integration,\u201d Harter said. \u201cIf you want to make quantum sensors that can be used in the field or develop a quantum computer of larger size, you will need to integrate the optics and electronics.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe integrated electronic interface was fabricated using unique facilities at Honeywell. It replaced banks of electronic equipment, and could potentially allow thousands of leads to be connected.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHarter says GTRI\u2019s niche is to work with both academic and industrial researchers to bring engineering approaches to the quantum physics discoveries coming out of labs around the world.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe basic physics research being done on campuses around the country requires a lot of engineering to make advances in quantum computing,\u201d she said. \u201cMuch of what we do is really engineering these basic systems that we want to make available to our collaborators.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGTRI\u2019s Quantum Information Systems Branch is composed of 15 scientists, engineers and students who investigate the physics of trapped ions, develop micro-fabricated ion traps and model quantum architectures, Harter noted. The group also has collaborations with academic scientists at Georgia Tech.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: Lance Wallace (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:lance.wallace@gtri.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Elance.wallace@gtri.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) (404-407-7280) or John Toon (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) (404-894-6986).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EScientists and engineers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) are helping advance worldwide quantum computing efforts by designing, fabricating and testing new components and devices.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers are advancing quantum computing efforts with new components and devices."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2014-06-11 16:04:17","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:16:33","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2014-06-11T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2014-06-11T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"302771":{"id":"302771","type":"image","title":"ion-trapping131","body":null,"created":"1449244592","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:56:32","changed":"1475895007","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 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Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39481","name":"National Security"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}