Researchers at the University of Oxford have made a significant breakthrough in quantum computing that could spur innovation in Ion-Trap quantum computers. The team has successfully integrated a quantum memory into a trapped-ion quantum network node, allowing quantum information to be stored for up to 10 seconds. This development is crucial for building scalable quantum computers. The team used different ions for varying benefits, with strontium ions generating fast and high-quality entanglement, and calcium ions providing reliable quantum logic and long-lasting quantum memory. Professor David Lucas highlighted the importance of this achievement for quantum communications and applications. The research is published in the journal Physical Review Letters.
Quantum Memory
Quantum Memory Breakthrough in Trapped-Ion Quantum Network Node
A team of researchers from the Quantum Computing and Simulation (QCS) Hub at the University of Oxford have made significant strides in the field of quantum computing. They have successfully integrated a quantum memory into a trapped-ion quantum network node, enabling quantum information to be stored for up to 10 seconds while maintaining the node’s full network capabilities. This development is a crucial step towards building the quantum networks necessary for the creation of fully scalable quantum computers.
Trapped-ion quantum computing, a well-established platform for quantum computation, uses single ions (charged atoms) suspended in a magnetic or electric field as qubits (quantum bits) for information processing. The Oxford team is constructing a network of quantum computers, utilizing trapped ions to store and process quantum information. Their network connects quantum computing devices using single photons emitted from a single atomic ion, leveraging quantum entanglement between this ion and the photons.
Numerous companies are busy commercializing quantum computing with Ion-Trap qubit devices. Universal Quantum, IonQ, and Honeywell are busy finding how to make better devices using Ion-Trap as qubits.
Utilizing Different Ions for Quantum Networking
The team has implemented different ions in ways that offer varying benefits for quantum networking. For instance, interfacing strontium ions and photons has enabled the team to generate distributed entanglement between two distant network nodes with an unprecedented combination of speed and quality, which is crucial for interconnecting different computing nodes. On the other hand, using calcium ions can provide high-fidelity quantum logic and long-lasting quantum memory, ensuring reliable quantum information processing.
Combining Capabilities for Enhanced Quantum Computing
The researchers have presented a new technique that combines these capabilities for the first time. They have created high-quality entanglement between a strontium ion and a photon and subsequently stored this entanglement in an adjacent calcium ion. The team has managed to preserve the information on this memory ion for more than 10 seconds, at least 1,000 times longer than what is possible using a strontium ion alone. Moreover, the strontium ion can be reused to generate further photons without corrupting the memory.
Professor David Lucas on the Quantum Computing Breakthrough
Professor David Lucas, whose colleagues at the University of Oxford have developed these new techniques, emphasized the importance of this breakthrough. He stated that the ability to interconnect quantum computation nodes, coupled with the capability of processing and storing quantum information with high fidelity, is crucial for building scalable quantum computers and for a host of applications in quantum communications.
Implications for Distributed Quantum Information Processing
This demonstration marks a significant milestone towards distributed quantum information processing. Each quantum computational node can now be loaded with a number of processing (calcium) qubits, while the network qubit (strontium) can be used to create quantum links between distant modules. This approach towards scalable quantum computing eliminates the need for large and complex ion traps by having small modules capable of processing and interconnecting with other modules.
Potential Applications and Future Developments
The long entanglement storage times achieved in the team’s experiments will have direct applications in private quantum computation and are key for new developments in quantum communications, metrology, and timekeeping. The emerging field of entangled atomic clocks, will lead to an order-of-magnitude improvement in the precision of frequency comparison between distant clocks. The team’s research, titled “Robust Quantum Memory in a Trapped-Ion Quantum Network Node,” is published in the journal Physical Review Letters.
“The ability to interconnect quantum computation nodes combined with the capability of processing and storing quantum information with high fidelity is crucial for building scalable quantum computers and for a host of applications in quantum communications. In this experiment we demonstrated one of the most important building blocks in this long-term challenge.”
Professor David Lucas, University of Oxford
Summary
Researchers at the University of Oxford have made a significant advancement in quantum computing by integrating a quantum memory into a trapped-ion quantum network node, enabling quantum information to be stored for up to 10 seconds. This development, which combines high-quality entanglement between a strontium ion and a photon and then stores this entanglement in an adjacent calcium ion, is a crucial step towards scalable quantum computing and has potential applications in quantum communications, metrology and timekeeping.
- A team of researchers at the University of Oxford, part of the QCS Hub, have made a significant advancement in quantum computing.
- They have successfully integrated a quantum memory into a trapped-ion quantum network node, allowing quantum information to be stored for up to 10 seconds.
- The team used Ion-Trap (charged atoms) as qubits (quantum bits) for information processing and connected quantum computing devices using single photons emitted from a single atomic ion.
- Different ions were used for different benefits: strontium ions for speed and quality of distributed entanglement between network nodes, and calcium ions for high-fidelity quantum logic and long-lasting quantum memory.
- The researchers combined these capabilities for the first time, creating high-quality entanglement between a strontium ion and a photon and storing this entanglement in an adjacent calcium ion.
- The information on the memory ion was preserved for more than 10 seconds, at least 1,000 times longer than using a strontium ion alone.
- Professor David Lucas, from the University of Oxford, highlighted the importance of this development for building scalable quantum computers and for applications in quantum communications.
- The long entanglement storage times achieved will also have direct applications in private quantum computation, quantum communications, metrology, timekeeping, and could improve the precision of frequency comparison between distant clocks.
