PIF: Beyond Adiabatic State Preparation with Ultracold Trapped Ion Quantum Simulators

20世纪80年代初，S的理查德·费曼提出了一种新的计算方法，这种方法直接涉及量子力学效应，不同于传统的数字计算机，这些计算机本质上是经典的(每位具有两种状态之一)。最近，实验小组已经开始使用囚禁离子量子模拟器来实现这些费曼想法。这些设备通过在受控的量子力学领域模拟粒子的量子行为来模拟粒子的量子行为。这笔赠款的工作重点是确定如何进行下一代这些实验。它们是通过将激光照射到陷阱中的离子上来控制的，这些离子施加的力取决于离子所处的量子状态。这些力会引起离子集合的振动，这些振动可能会对模拟器的功能造成不利影响。这项工作将确定这些振动对计算的影响，并将开发出理解和控制这些影响的方法。这项工作将与建造这些模拟器的两个实验小组密切合作进行。一名研究生将在这笔赠款期间接受培训。培训将有助于培养精通技术的劳动力。此外，还将对弗吉尼亚州阿灵顿学区的当地学校进行多次课堂访问，并将就量子力学中的不同现象(小学的磁学和中学的双缝实验)进行演讲。研究工作将集中在模拟量子模拟的新范式上，如果成功，可能会对未来新计算技术的发展产生影响。

In the early 1980's, Richard Feynman proposed a new way to perform computation that directly involves quantum mechanical effects and differs from conventional digital computers that are classical in nature (having one of two states in each bit). Recently, experimental groups have started to realize these Feynman ideas with trapped ion quantum simulators. These devices mimic the quantum behavior of particles by simulating them in a controlled quantum-mechanical arena. The work in this grant focuses on determining how to carry out the next generation of these experiments. They are controlled by shining lasers onto the ions that are in the trap which apply forces onto the ions that depend on the quantum state the ion is in. These forces induce vibrations into the collection of ions, and these vibrations can be detrimental to the functioning of the simulator. This work will determine the effects of these vibrations on the computation and will develop methods to both understand and to control those effects. Work will be carried out in close collaboration with two experimental groups who are building these simulators.One graduate student will be trained during the period of this grant. The training will help develop the technologically savvy workforce. In addition, a number of classroom visits to local schools in the Arlington, VA school district will be undertaken and presentations will be made that cover different phenomena in quantum mechanics (magnetism for elementary school and the two-slit experiment for middle school). The research work will focus on new paradigms for analog quantum simulation which, if successful, could have an impact on developments of novel computing technologies in the future.