Distributed Quantum Computing and Metrology with Alkaline Earth Atom Arrays

量子技术的新兴领域有望通过大幅提高计算能力、传感器分辨率和定时精度，同时提供一种利用量子力学定律的新密码学方法，深刻影响生活的许多方面。量子纠缠--即使在很远的距离上，量子粒子也不能单独描述--是量子信息科学的核心资源。虽然增加局部纠缠系统的规模仍然是一个突出的挑战，一个有吸引力的替代方案是使用非本地纠缠产生的手段，如光学光子“连接”本地纠缠系统在一起。该项目的目标是通过远程单独控制原子阵列之间的纠缠产生来提高大规模量子系统的规模和实用性。该计划将培养新一代的不同科学家和工程师在颠覆性的量子技术，是商业上可行的，并将推动量子科学在美国的领导地位和经济发展。该研究计划将解决实现多体纠缠态的挑战在一个超越经典的易处理的规模。 所提出的系统将包括在光镊中的碱土（类）镱原子阵列。 记录大小的分布式格林伯格-霍恩-蔡林格状态-应用于量子计算和计量学-在两个独立的原子阵列子系统之间，每个子系统包含~20-30个量子比特将被证明。每个子系统内的纠缠操作将通过高度激发的里德伯态进行。此外，将开发包含几个物理量子位的逻辑编码量子位。基于这种架构，逻辑编码的量子比特之间的门隐形传态将被追求作为通往容错的途径。该研究将把精密光学计量工具箱与量子计算和通信工具箱结合起来，并将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NSF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.