Developing a full-stack trapped-ion quantum processor

by Prof. Rajibul Islam, (Prof. Rajibul Islam, University of Waterloo, Canada)

Friday 27 Jun 2025, 11:00 → 13:00 Asia/Kolkata

AG 69

In this talk, I will describe our efforts to develop programmable quantum processors based on laser-cooled trapped ions. The internal states of individual ions are used to represent qubits, which can be coherently manipulated using laser beams for quantum logic gates, state preparation, and measurement. Scaling up such processors presents key challenges, including achieving high-precision optical addressing of individual ions with minimal crosstalk, and engineering programmable connectivity among qubits to enhance computational capabilities. Our near-term scientific focus is the quantum simulation of monitored quantum systems, where coherent dynamics compete with intermittent measurements on parts of the system, leading to phase transitions in entanglement properties. Experimentally realizing such exotic quantum phases requires mid-circuit measurements--selectively measuring target qubits without disturbing others. Our approach uses programmable holograms and employs the ion itself as a quantum sensor to control the addressing laser beams. To accelerate collaborative research, we are developing a full-stack control system that enables access to the hardware at multiple levels of abstraction, without requiring specialized expertise.