Distributed Quantum Computing and Metrology with Alkaline Earth Atom Arrays

新兴的量子技术领域将极大地提高计算能力、传感器分辨率和计时精度，同时为利用量子力学定律的密码学提供一种新的方法，从而深刻地影响生活的许多方面。量子纠缠是量子信息科学的核心资源。量子纠缠是指即使相隔很远，量子粒子也无法单独描述。虽然增加局部纠缠系统的规模仍然是一个突出的挑战，但一个有吸引力的替代方案是使用非局部纠缠产生的手段，如光子，将局部纠缠系统“连接”在一起。该项目的目标是通过在单独控制的原子远程阵列之间产生纠缠来推进大规模量子系统的规模和效用。该项目将培养具有商业可行性的颠覆性量子技术的新一代科学家和工程师，并将推动美国量子科学的领导地位和经济发展。本研究计划将解决在超越经典可追溯性的尺度上实现多体纠缠态的挑战。提出的系统将由光学镊子中的碱土（类）镱原子阵列组成。将演示两个分离的原子阵列子系统之间的创纪录大小的分布式greenberger - horn - zeilinger状态（应用于量子计算和计量学），每个子系统包含约20-30个量子比特。每个子系统内的纠缠操作将通过高激发里德伯态进行。此外，将开发包含多个物理量子位的逻辑编码量子位。基于这种架构，逻辑编码量子位之间的门传送将作为一种容错的途径。该研究将融合精密光学计量工具箱与量子计算和通信工具箱，并将使可编程多体纠缠用于量子增强计量和分布式量子计算和网络。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The nascent field of quantum technology is poised to profoundly affect many aspects of life by drastically improving computing power, sensor resolution, and timing accuracy while offering a new approach to cryptography that leverages the laws of quantum mechanics. Quantum entanglement – by which quantum particles cannot be described individually even when separated over great distances – is the central resource in quantum information science. While increasing the scale of locally entangled systems remains an outstanding challenge, an attractive alternative is to use non-local means of entanglement generation such as optical photons to “connect” locally entangled systems together. The goal of this project is to advance the size and utility of large-scale quantum systems through entanglement generation between remote arrays of individually controlled atoms. This program will train new generations of diverse scientists and engineers in disruptive quantum technology that is commercially viable and will advance the leadership and economic development in quantum science in the United States.This research program will address the challenge of realizing many-body entangled states at a scale beyond classical tractability. The system proposed will consist of arrays of alkaline-earth(-like) ytterbium atoms in optical tweezers. Record-size distributed Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger states – with application to quantum computation and metrology – between two separated atomic array sub-systems each containing ~20-30 qubits will be demonstrated. Entangling operations within each sub-system will be performed via highly excited Rydberg states. Additionally, logically encoded qubits containing several physical qubits will be developed. Based on this architecture, gate teleportation between logically encoded qubits will be pursued as a route toward fault-tolerance. This research will merge the toolbox of precision optical metrology with those of quantum computation and communication and will enable the use of programmable many-body entanglement for quantum-enhanced metrology and distributed quantum computing and networking.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.