Quantum computing fundamentals with mixed qubit types in 137Ba+

Abstract

Trapped-ion systems are leading candidates for quantum computing, offering long coherence times and high-fidelity gate operations. Scaling them, however, requires advanced capabilities such as mid-circuit measurement, qubit reset, and cooling, which together enable quantum error correction. One approach is the use of mixed qubit types, for example employing different ion species for cooling and computation. Recently, the omg blueprint [1] has gained attention as a method for coherently converting between qubit types within a single ion species, removing the overhead of mixed-species architectures while retaining their flexibility. In this thesis, we realise mixed qubit types in 137Ba+ using optical and metastable qubits. We demonstrate coherent control of both, as well as their coherent interconversion, achieving error rates at the 10−4 level suitable for NISQ applications. To enable selective control in multi-ion chains, we integrate a novel photonic chip for individual addressing of Raman beams [2]. We achieve cross-talk levels at or below 10−3 across all zones, and as low as 10−5 in some cases, establishing the scalability of our approach. Building on this, we present a new protocol for heralded state preparation and measurement (SPAM) [3]. This approach combines high-fidelity measurement with coherent conversion between qubit types to mitigate errors associated with qubit loss, decay, and imperfect SPAM. We demonstrate record-low SPAM error rates across optical, metastable, and ground-state qubits, with a minimum of 5(4)×10−6. This protocol can be integrated with erasure conversion techniques to enable in-sequence qubit loss correction, providing a pathway to scalable error correction even with finite qubit lifetimes. Finally, we introduce two-qubit operations through an implementation of the optical-transition dipole force (OTDF) gate [4]. This is the first implementation of the OTDF gate in 137Ba+, or in any ion with hyperfine structure, and it is directly compatible with our existing 532 nm laser system. Crucially, this gate operates in the σZ basis, avoiding the need for phase coherence between the driving field and the qubit, making it an excellent candidate for use in mixed-qubit-type systems. These results demonstrate the application of mixed-qubit-type architectures within a single ion species and establish a foundation for scaling trapped-ion quantum computers.