Neutral atom arrays have emerged as a powerful platform for quantum science and technology. However, the intrinsic issue of atom loss places a fundamental limit on the maximum duration of uninterrupted coherent operation. In our group, we built a next-generation atom array experiment incorporating a mechanism for continuous, high-flux qubit replenishment that is compatible with simultaneous, uninterrupted coherent operation. Among the many engineering challenges we had to address throughout this effort was the development of an experiment control infrastructure for transparent orchestration of several concurrently operating subsystems, with support for very long run durations. In this thesis, we begin by introducing the experiment architecture and presenting the main scientific results. We then turn to the control system details, discussing both the current implementation and the potential future modifications. We introduce the nistreamer package - an open-source abstraction layer for scripted pulse sequence generation with National Instruments cards - which was developed as part of this effort and serves as the control system core. The versatile format of a lightweight package, simple Python API, and the absence of a strict sequence duration limit make it a powerful tool with potential value for other laboratories. Next, we summarize the evaluation results on using low-noise CMOS cameras for fast atom imaging. We conclude by discussing the remaining control infrastructure challenges and future development directions toward enabling fault-tolerant quantum computation with neutral atom arrays.
Neutral atom arrays have emerged as a powerful platform for quantum science and technology. However, the intrinsic issue of atom loss places a fundamental limit on the maximum duration of uninterrupted coherent operation. In our group, we built a next-generation atom array experiment incorporating a mechanism for continuous, high-flux qubit replenishment that is compatible with simultaneous, uninterrupted coherent operation. Among the many engineering challenges we had to address throughout this effort was the development of an experiment control infrastructure for transparent orchestration of several concurrently operating subsystems, with support for very long run durations. In this thesis, we begin by introducing the experiment architecture and presenting the main scientific results. We then turn to the control system details, discussing both the current implementation and the potential future modifications. We introduce the nistreamer package - an open-source abstraction layer for scripted pulse sequence generation with National Instruments cards - which was developed as part of this effort and serves as the control system core. The versatile format of a lightweight package, simple Python API, and the absence of a strict sequence duration limit make it a powerful tool with potential value for other laboratories. Next, we summarize the evaluation results on using low-noise CMOS cameras for fast atom imaging. We conclude by discussing the remaining control infrastructure challenges and future development directions toward enabling fault-tolerant quantum computation with neutral atom arrays.
Neutral atom arrays have emerged as a leading platform for scalable quantum information processing, offering reconfigurable geometry, strong interactions, and high-fidelity control. While encoding quantum information in atomic qubits provides multiple natural advantages, information can be lost through mechanisms such as atom loss, depolarization, and decoherence, necessitating the need for quantum error correction. However, the processes underlying error correction, including measurement and gate operations, can themselves induce atom loss, ultimately limiting the achievable computational circuit depth. This thesis presents the design and realization of a large-scale neutral atom array quantum architecture capable of continuous coherent operation. By replenishing fresh atomic qubits during operation, the system solves a key bottleneck to scalability in space and time. We further show that, through careful system design, quantum coherence can be preserved while introducing new atoms and initializing them as qubits. We discuss the architectural and physical considerations underlying this approach and demonstrate a platform comprising more than 3,000 reconfigurable qubits. These results establish a pathway toward persistent quantum operation and have broad implications for quantum computing, quantum simulation, and quantum metrology.
Programmable arrays of hundreds of Rydberg atoms have recently enabled the exploration of remarkable phenomena in many-body quantum physics. In addition, the development of high-fidelity quantum gates are making them promising architectures for the implementation of quantum circuits.We present here P u l s e r , an open-source Python library for programming neutral-atom devices at the pulse level. The low-level nature of Pulser makes it a versatile framework for quantum control both in the digital and analog settings. The library also contains simulation routines for studying and exploring the outcome of pulse sequences for small systems.
Neutral atoms, trapped in optical tweezers and lattices, have gained significant attention owing to advances in laser technologies, control hardware, and innovative experimental techniques. These systems offer unique advantages such as long coherence times, natural homogeneity, and scalability, while also presenting challenges related to gate speed limitations, atom loss, slow measurements, and other imperfections. Quantum control theory has emerged as a crucial tool for advancing these technologies by enabling precise manipulation of atoms. In this thesis, we review the foundational concepts in quantum control theory, outlining both analytical approaches and numerical optimization techniques, including methods to account for experimental imperfections. A concise overview of neutral atom platforms follows, covering two distinct operational regimes: Rydberg atoms in optical tweezers and fermionic atoms in optical superlattices. The core of the thesis is dedicated to our work addressing practical control problems in neutral atom systems. First, we develop a platform-independent method for estimating and compensating nonlinear pulse distortions in experimental setups and demonstrate its use numerically for Rydberg atom excitations. Next, we tackle the challenge of implementing fast and robust gates in fermionic atom systems trapped in superlattices by optimizing lattice depths. Finally, we explore the application of Rydberg-based analog quantum simulators for variational quantum eigensolvers, using Lie-algebraic tools to analyze symmetry restrictions. This work highlights the essential role of quantum control methods in enhancing the fidelity, robustness, and applicability of neutral atom quantum technologies. It also demonstrates how combining theoretical tools, numerical optimization, and experimental considerations leads to practical solutions for scalable and high-performance quantum systems. The methods and insights developed here also offer transferable strategies for other quantum hardware architectures.
Neutral atom quantum computing utilizes laser-trapped neutral atoms as qubits and realizes quantum logic gate operations through Rydberg-state interactions. In recent years, it has become one of the most vibrant directions in quantum computing hardware. This paper systematically reviews the working principles of neutral-atom quantum computers, including qubit encoding, atom trapping and manipulation, Rydberg states and interactions, the Rydberg blockade quantum gate mechanism, and atom rearrangement with reconfigurable architectures. The mainstream technical routes are surveyed, represented by optical tweezer arrays combined with Rydberg interactions, optical lattice schemes, and dipole trap arrays. A panoramic review is provided of domestic and international research progress from theoretical foundations in 2000 to the latest achievements in 2026, including thousand-qubit-scale systems, logical qubits, and quantum error correction experiments. Key breakthroughs are highlighted, such as the 6100-atom qubit array, continuous operation of a 3000-qubit system, quantum simulation of the Kitaev honeycomb model, toric code error correction demonstrations, encoding rates exceeding 1/2, and fault-tolerant architectures. The core bottlenecks are analyzed in depth, including the scalability--fidelity trade-off, engineering implementation of quantum error correction, atom loss and mid-circuit replenishment, laser system industrialization, control electronics scalability, and long-distance quantum interconnection. This paper aims to provide a systematic reference for academic research and technological development in this field.
Neutral-atom arrays are a leading platform for quantum technologies, offering a promising route toward large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computing. We propose a novel quantum processing architecture based on dual-type, dual-element atom arrays, where individually trapped atoms serve as data qubits, and small atomic ensembles enable ancillary operations. By leveraging the selective initialization, coherent control, and collective optical response of atomic ensembles, we demonstrate ensemble-assisted quantum operations that enable reconfigurable, high-speed control of individual data qubits and rapid mid-circuit readout, including both projective single-qubit and joint multi-qubit measurements. The hybrid approach of this architecture combines the long coherence times of single-atom qubits with the enhanced controllability of atomic ensembles, achieving high-fidelity state manipulation and detection with minimal crosstalk. Numerical simulations indicate that our scheme supports individually addressable single- and multi-qubit operations with fidelities of 99.5% and 99.9%, respectively, as well as fast single- and multi-qubit state readout with fidelities exceeding 99% within tens of microseconds. These capabilities open new pathways toward scalable, fault-tolerant quantum computation, enabling repetitive error syndrome detection and efficient generation of long-range entangled many-body states, thereby expanding the quantum information toolbox beyond existing platforms.
Neutral atom arrays have rapidly emerged as a leading platform for quantum computing, boasting scalable, configurable arrays of single atoms trapped in optical tweezers, fast, high-fidelity entangling gates through Rydberg interactions, and programmable, parallelized control of qubit operations. Coupling an atom array to an optical cavity opens a new frontier. Leveraging enhanced light-atom interactions in cavity quantum electrodynamics, cavity- coupled atom arrays acquire capabilities that can further expand the neutral atom toolbox, including cavity-enhanced atom readouts, atom-photon entanglement, and photon-mediated interactions between distant atoms. This thesis presents a quantum hardware platform that integrates an array of neutral atoms with a high-finesse optical cavity. After describing the design and development of the experimental apparatus, I demonstrate high-fidelity atom state readout through the cavity, achieving improved speed and atom survival compared to conventional free-space imaging methods. I then introduce a new technique for selectively controlling atom-cavity coupling on arbitrary subsets of the array, using local AC Stark shifts on the excited states of the atoms. Building on these tools, I demonstrate fast, non-destructive cavity-based readout of atom arrays, a crucial bottleneck of atom array platforms. I also showcase real-time measurement and feedback capabilities with a demonstration of classical error correction, using a register of atomic bits. Finally, I describe progress toward implementing single- and two-qubit gates within the cavity-coupled system. By combining coherent control, tunable interactions, and high-fidelity, non-destructive readout integrated and real-time feedback, the cavity-coupled Rydberg atom array offers a promising path toward fault-tolerant quantum computing.