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arXiv:1509.05378 · New Journal of Physics

Universal control of ion qubits in a scalable microfabricated planar trap

Creston D. Herold, S D Fallek, J T Merrill, A M Meier, Kenneth R. Brown, C E Volin, J M Amini

Published Feb 19, 2016• 19 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We demonstrate universal quantum control over chains of ions in a surface-electrode ion trap, including all the fundamental operations necessary to perform algorithms in a one-dimensional, nearest-neighbor quantum computing architecture. We realize both single-qubit operations and nearest-neighbor entangling gates with Raman laser beams, and we interleave the two gate types. We report average single-qubit gate fidelities as high as 0.970(1) for two-, three-, and four-ion chains, characterized with randomized benchmarking. We generate Bell states between the nearest-neighbor pairs of a three-ion chain, with fidelity up to 0.84(2). We combine one- and two-qubit gates to perform quantum process tomography of a cnot gate in a two-ion chain, and we report an overall fidelity of 0.76(3).

DOI
10.1088/1367-2630/18/2/023048

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New Journal of Physics•Dec 23, 2025•1 citation
We demonstrate universal quantum control over chains of ions in a surface-electrode ion trap, including all the fundamental operations necessary to perform algorithms in a one-dimensional, nearest-neighbor quantum computing architecture. We realize both single-qubit operations and nearest-neighbor entangling gates with Raman laser beams, and we interleave the two gate types. We report average single-qubit gate fidelities as high as 0.970(1) for two-, three-, and four-ion chains, characterized with randomized benchmarking. We generate Bell states between the nearest-neighbor pairs of a three-ion chain, with fidelity up to 0.84(2). We combine one- and two-qubit gates to perform quantum process tomography of a cnot gate in a two-ion chain, and we report an overall fidelity of 0.76(3).
The trapped atomic ion qubits feature desirable properties for use in a quantum computer such as long coherence times, high qubit readout fidelity, and universal logic gates. While these essential properties have been demonstrated, the ability to scale a trapped ion quantum system has not yet been shown. The challenge of scaling the system calls for methods to realize high-fidelity logic gates in scalable trap structures. Surface electrode ion traps, that are microfabricated from a silicon substrate, provide a scalable platform for trapping ion qubits only if high-fidelity operations are achievable in these structures. Here, we present a system for trapping and manipulating ions in a scalable surface trap. Trapping times exceeding 20 minutes without laser cooling, and heating rates as low as 0.8 quanta/ms indicate stable trapping conditions in these microtraps. Coherence times of more than one second verify adequate qubit and control field stability. We demonstrate low-error single-qubit gates performed using stimulated Raman transitions driven by lasers that are tightly focused on the ion qubit. Digital feedback loops are implemented to control the driving field's amplitude and frequency. Gate errors are measured using a randomized benchmarking protocol for single qubit gates, where residual amplitude error in the control beam is compensated using various pulse sequence techniques. Using pulse compensation, we demonstrate single qubit gates with an average error per randomized Clifford group gate of 3.6(3)times10−43.6(3)\\times10^{-4}3.6(3)times10−4, which is below the fault-tolerant threshold for some error-correction schemes.
We theoretically investigate the use of fast pulsed two-qubit gates for trapped ion quantum computing in a two-dimensional microtrap architecture. In one dimension, such fast gates are optimal when employed between nearest neighbors, and we examine the generalization to a two-dimensional geometry. We demonstrate that fast pulsed gates are capable of implementing high-fidelity entangling operations between ions in neighboring traps faster than the trapping period, with experimentally demonstrated laser repetition rates. Notably, we find that without increasing the gate duration high-fidelity gates are achievable even in large arrays with hundreds of ions. To demonstrate the usefulness of this proposal, we investigate the application of these gates to the digital simulation of a 40-mode Fermi-Hubbard model. This also demonstrates why shorter chains of gates required to connect arbitrary pairs of ions make this geometry well suited for large-scale computation.
Single--ion qubits confined to microfabricated surface traps boast numerous advantages for a scalable quantum computer.The flexibility of modern chip traps supports a variety of exo>c trapping geometries and unprecedented control over individual qubits.Since their incep>on, the viability of chip traps has been met with skep>cism owing to the fact that hea>ng rates would presumably be dominated by surface interac>ons, which play a larger role as a result of the trap's close proximity to the ions.In order to debunk this misconcep>on, we report on the realiza>on of high--fidelity quantum informa>on processing protocols in Sandia's High--Op>cal--Access (HOA) surface trap.Through a number of technical improvements, such as driK control of classical control parameters and our development of a novel "gapless" pulse technique, we have achieved single--qubit gate fideli>es, both laser--and microwave--based, comparable to those found in the best--of--breed electrode traps.Gate Set Tomography (GST) provides an extremely accurate characteriza>on of our gates, including concrete measurements of diamond norm distances.We also demonstrate a realiza>on of the Mølmer--Sørensen two--qubit gate that is stable for several hours.By virtue of this stability, we've performed the first GST measurements in a qutrit basis, which have yielded a two--qubit process fidelity of 99.58( 6)%.Microfabricated Traps at Sandia High Op>cal Access Trap (HOA--2) Single--Qubit Gates Two--Qubit Gate Gate Set Tomography 0 1 0.2 0.
Trapped ions are among the top candidates for realizing high fidelity gate operations for quantum computation as well as other applications including quantum simulation and sensing [1]. However, scaling these systems up to the number of qubits required to solve interesting problems with conventional macroscopic traps quickly becomes intractable. To overcome the scalability challenge, advanced microfabrication techniques have been developed to support a variety of complex electrode layouts, allowing for precise and dynamic control of confining potentials. Using Sandia’s microfabricated surface ion traps, which feature low heating rates, high trap frequencies, and long trapping times, we demonstrate novel classical control techniques that employ parametric voltage solutions for elegant composition of shuttling operations and accurate control over the curvature of the confining potential. To demonstrate the viability of Sandia's microfabricated ion traps for quantum information processing, we’ve realized of high-fidelity single-qubit gates below a rigorous fault tolerance threshold for general noise [2,3] and two-qubit Mølmer-Sørensen gates with a process fidelity of 99.58(6)%.
The central challenge of quantum computing is implementing high-fidelity quantum gates at scale. However, many existing approaches to qubit control suffer from a scale-performance trade-off, impeding progress towards the creation of useful devices. Here, we present a vision for an electronically controlled trapped-ion quantum computer that alleviates this bottleneck. Our architecture utilizes shared current-carrying traces and local tuning electrodes in a microfabricated chip to perform quantum gates with low noise and crosstalk regardless of device size. To verify our approach, we experimentally demonstrate low-noise site-selective single- and two-qubit gates in a seven-zone ion trap. We implement electronic single-qubit gates with fidelities ≥ 99.99912 ( 8 ) % and demonstrate consistent performance with low crosstalk across the device. We also electronically generate two-qubit maximally entangled states with 99.97 ( 1 ) % fidelity and long-term stable performance over continuous system operation. These state-of-the-art results highlight the potential of our all-electronic approach for coherent control of trapped-ion qubits in large-scale quantum computers.
Abstract Scalable quantum information processing with limited physical resources is a key challenge in the pursuit of practical quantum advantage. Here, we introduce an approach that encodes two qubits per ion, enabling an n -ion–2 n -qubit quantum processor by harnessing four internal levels of trapped ions. As a proof of principle, we demonstrate a universal 1-ion–2-qubit processor using the valence electron spin and nuclear spin of a single 171 Yb + ion, achieving gate fidelities exceeding 98% for both single- and two-qubit operations via quantum process tomography. Furthermore, we implement Grover’s algorithm with a success rate surpassing 99%, showing the system’s computational capability. Through robust optimal quantum control, we enhance gate robustness against amplitude and frequency fluctuations, critical for large-scale operation. We present scalable architectures leveraging both laser-free and laser-based entangling gates, revealing that intra-atomic electron–nuclear spin interactions can reduce the complexity of inter-atomic operations. By substituting inter-atomic gates with high-fidelity intra-atomic ones, our scheme significantly improves circuit performance. This work establishes a pathway to exponentially expand the Hilbert space of quantum processors, and represents an important advance toward scalable, high-capacity quantum computing.