Quantum simulation with individual control of 53 qubits

Complex qubit organization: each row is a separate image of 53 trapped ion qubits, with each qubit fluorescing (state 1) or dark (state 0) upon measurement.,

In one of the largest quantum simulations ever performed, up to 53 trapped ion qubits have been used to simulate properties of many body magnetic interactions. The qubits are each prepared with individual control, and measured in a single shot with nearly 100% efficiency. This allows the observation of arbitrary correlation functions that cannot be calculated. This restricted quantum computer becomes fully programmable and reconfigurable with straightforward modifications in the control lasers.

“Observation of a Many-Body Dynamical Phase Transition in a 53-Qubit Quantum Simulator,” J. Zhang, G. Pagano, P. W. Hess, A. Kyprianidis, P. Becker, H. B. Kaplan, A. V. Gorshkov, Z.-X. Gong, and C. Monroe, Nature 551, 601 (2017)
JQI News Release
Video animation of trapped ion quantum computer concept

About our group

Welcome to Prof. Christopher Monroe’s research group in the Joint Quantum Institute and the Departments of Physics and Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Maryland.

Our group focuses on the use of individual atoms and photons for fundamental studies of quantum physics and applications in quantum information science.

A long term goal of our research is the realization of large-scale quantum information networks that could store and process information in a way that could eclipse the performance of conventional computers. Our main tools are electromagnetic atom traps and lasers, providing control of the most pristine source of quantum bits: trapped atomic ions.