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Bulletin of the American Physical Society

Optical lattice-based addressing and control of long-lived neutral-atom qubits

Nathan E. Lundblad, Trey Porto, Ian B. Spielman, Radu Chicireanu, William D. Phillips

Published Mar 20, 2009• 0 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

The design of many proposed quantum computational platforms is driven by competing needs: isolating the quantum system from the environment to prevent decoherence, and easily and accurately controlling the system with external fields. Neutral-atom optical-lattice architectures provide environmental isolation through the use of states that are robust against fluctuating external fields, yet external fields are nevertheless essential for qubit addressing. Here we demonstrate the selection of individual qubits with external fields, despite the fact that the qubits are in field-insensitive superpositions. We use a spatially inhomogeneous external field to map selected qubits to a different field-insensitive superposition, minimally perturbing unselected qubits, despite the fact that the addressing field is not spatially localized. We show robust single-qubit rotations on neutral-atom qubits located at sites within a double-well configuration with minimal dephasing of neighboring qubits. This precise coherent control is an important step forward for lattice-based neutral-atom quantum computation, and is quite generally applicable to state transfer and qubit isolation in other architectures using field-insensitive qubits. Additionally this double-well proof-of-principle work should be quite applicable in the single-site addressability regime currently being explored by several groups. Additionally we present work demonstrating the near-elimination of the differential light shift for various qubit transitions, using a novel scheme balancing differential shifts with residual vector light shifts of nominally field-insensitive transitions. For details see references [1–6]

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arXiv:2102.00341•Journal of Physics B Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics•Dec 6, 2019•13 citations
The design of many proposed quantum computational platforms is driven by competing needs: isolating the quantum system from the environment to prevent decoherence, and easily and accurately controlling the system with external fields. Neutral-atom optical-lattice architectures provide environmental isolation through the use of states that are robust against fluctuating external fields, yet external fields are nevertheless essential for qubit addressing. Here we demonstrate the selection of individual qubits with external fields, despite the fact that the qubits are in field-insensitive superpositions. We use a spatially inhomogeneous external field to map selected qubits to a different field-insensitive superposition, minimally perturbing unselected qubits, despite the fact that the addressing field is not spatially localized. We show robust single-qubit rotations on neutral-atom qubits located at sites within a double-well configuration with minimal dephasing of neighboring qubits. This precise coherent control is an important step forward for lattice-based neutral-atom quantum computation, and is quite generally applicable to state transfer and qubit isolation in other architectures using field-insensitive qubits. Additionally this double-well proof-of-principle work should be quite applicable in the single-site addressability regime currently being explored by several groups. Additionally we present work demonstrating the near-elimination of the differential light shift for various qubit transitions, using a novel scheme balancing differential shifts with residual vector light shifts of nominally field-insensitive transitions. For details see references [1–6]
We study a system of neutral atoms trapped in a three-dimensional optical lattice suitable for the encoding, initialization and manipulation of atomic qubits. The qubits are manipulated by applied electromagnetic fields interacting with dipole moments of the atoms via light shifts, Raman transitions, Zeeman shifts, and microwave transitions. Our lattice is formed by three orthogonal one-dimensional lattices, which have different frequencies so that interference terms average to zero. This geometry allows considerable freedom in designing the component one-dimensional lattices, so that they provide not only confinement but also independent control in each dimension. Our atomic qubits are initialized from a laser-cooled atomic sample by Raman sideband cooling in individual lattice potential wells. We have demonstrated accurate and robust one-qubit manipulation using resonant microwave fields. In practice such control operations are always subject to errors, in our case spatial inhomogeneities in the microwave Rabi frequency and the light shifted qubit transition frequency. Observation of qubit dynamics in near real time allows us to minimize these inhomogeneities, and therefore optimize qubit logic gates. For qubits in the lattice, we infer a fidelity of 0.990(3) for a single pi-pulse. We have also explored the use of NMR-type pulse techniques in order to further reduce the effect of errors and thus improve gate robustness in the atom/lattice system. Our schemes for two-qubit quantum logic operations are based on controlled collisional interactions. We have experimented with two schemes in order to probe these collisions. The first involves manipulation of the center-of-mass wavepackets of two qubits in a geometry corresponding to two partially overlapping Mach-Zender interferometers. Unfortunately, this scheme has proven extremely sensitive to phase errors, as the wavepackets are moved by the optical lattice. The other scheme starts with two qubits in spatially separated traps, and utilizes microwaves to drive one or both qubits into a third trap in-between the two qubits. Once the wavepackets overlap, the collisions create a large energy shift which can be probed spectroscopically.
Ultracold neutral atoms confined in optical dipole traps have important applications in quantum computation and information processing, quantum simulators of interacting-many-body systems and atomic frequency metrology. While optical dipole traps are powerful tools for cold atom experiments, the energy level structures of the trapped atoms are shifted by the trapping field, and it is important to characterize these shifts in order to accurately manipulate and control the quantum state of the system.\n\nIn order to measure the light shifts, we have designed a system that allows us to reliably trap individual 87Rb atoms. A non-destructive detection technique is employed so that the trapped atoms can be continuously observed for over 100 seconds. Single atom spectroscopy, trap frequency measurements, and temperature measurements are performed on single atoms in a single focus trap and small number of atoms in a 1D optical lattice in order to characterize the trapping environment, the perturbed energy level structures, and the probe-induced heating.\n\nIn the second part of the thesis, we demonstrate deterministic delivery of an array of individual atoms to an optical cavity and selective addressability of individual atoms in a 1D optical conveyor, which serves as a potential candidate for scalable quantum information processing. The experiment is extended to a dual lattice system coupled to a single cavity with the capability of independent lattice control and addressability. The mutual interactions of atoms in different lattices mediated by a common cavity field are demonstrated. A semi-classical model in the many-atom regime based on the Jaynes-Cummings model is developed to describe the system that is in good qualitative agreement with the data. This work provides a foundation for developing multi-qubit quantum information experiments with a dual lattice cavity system.
We demonstrate arbitrary coherent addressing of individual neutral atoms in a 5×5×5 array formed by an optical lattice. Addressing is accomplished using rapidly reconfigurable crossed laser beams to selectively ac Stark shift target atoms, so that only target atoms are resonant with state-changing microwaves. The effect of these targeted single qubit gates on the quantum information stored in nontargeted atoms is smaller than 3×10^{-3} in state fidelity. This is an important step along the path of converting the scalability promise of neutral atoms into reality.
Ultracold neutral atoms have emerged as a promising platform for scalable quantum computation. Universal single-qubit control requires high quality state preparation, spatially resolved manipulation, and projective readout of each qubit. For state preparation and readout, neutral atom platforms can apply techniques commonly used in quantum gas microscopes and single atom trapping machines. Furthermore, the ability to isolate the internal spin states of individual neutral atoms from both external fields and neighboring atoms allows for seconds-scale coherence times. Here, we will present progress on the coherent, site-resolved control of an array of atomic qubits comprised of neutral strontium atoms.
Abstract Neutral atom arrays are particularly promising for large-scale quantum computing because it is possible to prepare large-scale qubit arrays. An unsolved issue is how to selectively excite one qubit deep in a 3D atomic array to Rydberg states. In this work, we show two methods for this purpose. The first method relies on a well-known result: in a dipole transition between two quantum states driven by two off-resonant fields of equal strength but opposite detunings ±Δ, the transition is characterized by two counter-rotating Rabi frequencies Ω e ± i Δ t (or ± Ω e ± i Δ t if the two fields have a π -phase difference). This pair of detuned fields lead to a time-dependent Rabi frequency 2 Ω cos ( Δ t ) (or 2 i Ω sin ( Δ t ) ), so that a full transition between the two levels is recovered. We show that when the two detuned fields are sent in different directions, one atom in a 3D optical lattice can be selectively addressed for Rydberg excitation, and when its state is restored, the state of any nontarget atoms irradiated in the light path is also restored. Moreover, we find that the Rydberg excitation by this method can significantly suppress the fundamental blockade error of a Rydberg gate, paving the way for a high-fidelity entangling gate with a commonly used quasi-rectangular pulse that is easily obtained by pulse pickers. Along the way, we find a second method for single-site Rydberg addressing in 3D, where a selected target atom can be excited to the Rydberg state while preserving the state of any nontarget atom due to a spin-echo sequence. The capability to selectively address a target atom in 3D atomic arrays for Rydberg excitation makes it possible to design a large-scale neutral-atom information processor based on the Rydberg blockade.