Host: Zhu-Xi Luo

Title: Topological fault-tolerance in quantum computing

Abstract: An argument will be made that to build a utility scale quantum computer, topology is inevitable for error correction and fault-tolerance.  There are at least two ways to apply topology: via either non-abelian anyons in topological phases of mater or abelian anyons in traditional CSS quantum codes.  I will focus on the latter to show that geometrically enhanced topological quantum codes are good enough for current all-to-all platforms such as ion traps and neutral atoms, which liberate codes from the constraint of planar architecture and allow the exploration of higher dimensions. Therefore, building a useful quantum computer is now really an engineering problem of system architecture and control.

Bio: I am a professor of mathematics at UCSB, and former researcher of Microsoft Station Q. I am interested in quantum mathematics, and applying topology to quantum computing and physics.