We propose a quantum computer architecture based on ions confined in optical tweezer arrays, combining the long coherence times of trapped-ion qubits with the reconfigurability and parallel operation enabled by tweezer platforms. Selected ions are transported to local interaction zones, where excitation to an auxiliary state with a displaced optical potential generates a controllable effective electric dipole. We develop and analyze entangling-gate mechanisms mediated by the Coulomb interaction between such effective dipoles, and show that they enable precise, temperature-robust closure of the center-of-mass and relative motional trajectories, leaving no residual entanglement between the qubits and the motion. We further outline a concrete implementation with barium ions based on state-selective polarizability, and study the suppression of cross-talk during parallel gate execution, with relevance to transversal gates in quantum error correction. Our results thereby establish a realistic route toward scalable ion-tweezer quantum processors.We propose a quantum computer architecture based on ions confined in optical tweezer arrays, combining the long coherence times of trapped-ion qubits with the reconfigurability and parallel operation enabled by tweezer platforms. Selected ions are transported to local interaction zones, where excitation to an auxiliary state with a displaced optical potential generates a controllable effective electric dipole. We develop and analyze entangling-gate mechanisms mediated by the Coulomb interaction between such effective dipoles, and show that they enable precise, temperature-robust closure of the center-of-mass and relative motional trajectories, leaving no residual entanglement between the qubits and the motion. We further outline a concrete implementation with barium ions based on state-selective polarizability, and study the suppression of cross-talk during parallel gate execution, with relevance to transversal gates in quantum error correction. Our results thereby establish a realistic route toward scalable ion-tweezer quantum processors.

quant-pharXiv:2606.27249Jun 26, 20260 citations

Scalable and Parallel Tweezer Gates for Quantum Computing with Long Ion Strings

Tobias Olsacher, Lukas Postler, Philipp Schindler +3 more

Trapped-ion quantum computers have demonstrated high-performance gate operations in registers of about ten qubits.However, scaling up and parallelizing quantum computations with long one-dimensional (1D) ion strings is an outstanding challenge due to the global nature of the motional modes of the ions, which mediate qubit-qubit couplings.Here, we devise methods to implement scalable and parallel entangling gates by using engineered localized phonon modes.We propose to tailor such localized modes by tuning the local potential of individual ions with programmable optical tweezers.Localized modes of small subsets of qubits form the basis to perform entangling gates on these subsets in parallel.We demonstrate the inherent scalability of this approach by presenting analytical and numerical results for long 1D ion chains and even for infinite chains of uniformly spaced ions.Furthermore, we show that combining our methods with optimal coherent control techniques allows realization of maximally dense universal parallelized quantum circuits.Trapped-ion quantum computers have demonstrated high-performance gate operations in registers of about ten qubits.However, scaling up and parallelizing quantum computations with long one-dimensional (1D) ion strings is an outstanding challenge due to the global nature of the motional modes of the ions, which mediate qubit-qubit couplings.Here, we devise methods to implement scalable and parallel entangling gates by using engineered localized phonon modes.We propose to tailor such localized modes by tuning the local potential of individual ions with programmable optical tweezers.Localized modes of small subsets of qubits form the basis to perform entangling gates on these subsets in parallel.We demonstrate the inherent scalability of this approach by presenting analytical and numerical results for long 1D ion chains and even for infinite chains of uniformly spaced ions.Furthermore, we show that combining our methods with optimal coherent control techniques allows realization of maximally dense universal parallelized quantum circuits.

arXiv:2008.11389PRX QuantumDec 2, 202057 citations

Preprint arXiv:2606.27249 Submitted on 25 Jun 2026

Benjamin F. Schiffer, C. Monroe, P. Zoller +1 more

Jun 26, 20260 citations

Scalable entangling gates on ion qubits via structured light addressing

Xinyu Mai, Liyun Zhang, Qinyang Yu +2 more

A central challenge in developing practical quantum processors is maintaining low control complexity while scaling to large numbers of qubits. Trapped-ion systems excel in small-scale operations and support rapid qubit scaling via long-chain architectures. However, their performance in larger systems is hindered by spectral crowding in radial motional modes, a problem that forces reliance on intricate pulse-shaping techniques to maintain gate fidelities. Here, we overcome this challenge by developing a trapped-ion processor with an individual-addressing system that generates steerable Hermite-Gaussian beam arrays. The transversal gradient of these beams couples qubits selectively to sparse axial motional modes, enabling to isolate a single or few modes as entanglement mediator. Leveraging this capability, we demonstrate addressable two-qubit entangling gates in chains up to six ions, with Bell-state preparation fidelities consistently around 0.97, achieved without complex pulse shaping. Our method substantially reduces control overhead while preserving scalability, providing a crucial advance toward practical large-scale trapped-ion quantum computing.A central challenge in developing practical quantum processors is maintaining low control complexity while scaling to large numbers of qubits. Trapped-ion systems excel in small-scale operations and support rapid qubit scaling via long-chain architectures. However, their performance in larger systems is hindered by spectral crowding in radial motional modes, a problem that forces reliance on intricate pulse-shaping techniques to maintain gate fidelities. Here, we overcome this challenge by developing a trapped-ion processor with an individual-addressing system that generates steerable Hermite-Gaussian beam arrays. The transversal gradient of these beams couples qubits selectively to sparse axial motional modes, enabling to isolate a single or few modes as entanglement mediator. Leveraging this capability, we demonstrate addressable two-qubit entangling gates in chains up to six ions, with Bell-state preparation fidelities consistently around 0.97, achieved without complex pulse shaping. Our method substantially reduces control overhead while preserving scalability, providing a crucial advance toward practical large-scale trapped-ion quantum computing.

Science AdvancesApr 1, 20261 citation

Scalable entangling gates on ion qubits via structured light addressing

Xinyu Mai, Liyun Zhang, Yu, Qinyang +2 more

A central challenge in developing practical quantum processors is maintaining low control complexity while scaling to large numbers of qubits. Trapped-ion systems excel in small-scale operations and support rapid qubit scaling via long-chain architectures. However, their performance in larger systems is hindered by spectral crowding in radial motional modes, a problem that forces reliance on intricate pulse-shaping techniques to maintain gate fidelities. Here, we overcome this challenge by developing a novel trapped-ion processor with an individual-addressing system that generates steerable Hermite-Gaussian beam arrays. The transverse gradient of these beams couples qubits selectively to sparse axial motional modes, enabling to isolate a single mode as entanglement mediator. Leveraging this capability, we demonstrate addressable two-qubit entangling gates in chains up to six ions with fidelities consistently around 0.97, achieved without complex pulse shaping. Our method significantly reduces control overhead while preserving scalability, providing a crucial advance toward practical large-scale trapped-ion quantum computing.A central challenge in developing practical quantum processors is maintaining low control complexity while scaling to large numbers of qubits. Trapped-ion systems excel in small-scale operations and support rapid qubit scaling via long-chain architectures. However, their performance in larger systems is hindered by spectral crowding in radial motional modes, a problem that forces reliance on intricate pulse-shaping techniques to maintain gate fidelities. Here, we overcome this challenge by developing a novel trapped-ion processor with an individual-addressing system that generates steerable Hermite-Gaussian beam arrays. The transverse gradient of these beams couples qubits selectively to sparse axial motional modes, enabling to isolate a single mode as entanglement mediator. Leveraging this capability, we demonstrate addressable two-qubit entangling gates in chains up to six ions with fidelities consistently around 0.97, achieved without complex pulse shaping. Our method significantly reduces control overhead while preserving scalability, providing a crucial advance toward practical large-scale trapped-ion quantum computing.

arXiv:2506.19535Jun 24, 20250 citations

Two-qubit entangling gates within arbitrarily long chains of trapped ions

K. A. Landsman, Yukai Wu, Pak Hong Leung +5 more

Ion trap quantum computers are based on modulating the Coulomb interaction between atomic ion qubits using external forces. However, the spectral crowding of collective motional modes could pose a challenge to the control of such interactions for large numbers of qubits. Here, we show that high-fidelity quantum gate operations are still possible with very large trapped ion crystals by using a small and fixed number of motional modes, simplifying the scaling of ion trap quantum computers. We present analytical work that shows that gate operations need not couple to the motion of distant ions, allowing parallel entangling gates with a crosstalk error that falls off as the inverse cube of the distance between the pairs. We also experimentally demonstrate high-fidelity entangling gates on a fully connected set of seventeen $^{171}\mathrm{Yb}^{+}$ qubits using simple laser pulse shapes that primarily couple to just a few modes.Ion trap quantum computers are based on modulating the Coulomb interaction between atomic ion qubits using external forces. However, the spectral crowding of collective motional modes could pose a challenge to the control of such interactions for large numbers of qubits. Here, we show that high-fidelity quantum gate operations are still possible with very large trapped ion crystals by using a small and fixed number of motional modes, simplifying the scaling of ion trap quantum computers. We present analytical work that shows that gate operations need not couple to the motion of distant ions, allowing parallel entangling gates with a crosstalk error that falls off as the inverse cube of the distance between the pairs. We also experimentally demonstrate high-fidelity entangling gates on a fully connected set of seventeen $^{171}\mathrm{Yb}^{+}$ qubits using simple laser pulse shapes that primarily couple to just a few modes.

arXiv:1905.10421Physical Review AAug 26, 201991 citations

^{171}\mathrm{Yb}^{+}

qubits using simple laser pulse shapes that primarily couple to just a few modes.