Hybrid Quantum Computing with Conditional Beam Splitter Gate in Trapped Ion System

Seeking a quantum advantage with trapped-ion quantum simulations of condensed-phase chemical dynamics

Simulating the quantum dynamics of molecules in the condensed phase represents a longstanding challenge in chemistry. Trapped-ion quantum systems may serve as a platform for the analog-quantum simulation of chemical dynamics that is beyond the reach of current classical-digital simulation. To identify a 'quantum advantage' for these simulations, performance analysis of both analog-quantum simulation on noisy hardware and classical-digital algorithms is needed. In this Review, we make a comparison between a noisy analog trapped-ion simulator and a few choice classical-digital methods on simulating the dynamics of a model molecular Hamiltonian with linear vibronic coupling. We describe several simple Hamiltonians that are commonly used to model molecular systems, which can be simulated with existing or emerging trapped-ion hardware. These Hamiltonians may serve as stepping stones towards the use of trapped-ion simulators for systems beyond the reach of classical-digital methods. Finally, we identify dynamical regimes in which classical-digital simulations seem to have the weakest performance with respect to analog-quantum simulations. These regimes may provide the lowest hanging fruit to make the most of potential quantum advantages.

Experimental realization of entangled coherent states in two-dimensional harmonic oscillators of a trapped ion

Entangled coherent states play pivotal roles in various fields such as quantum computation, quantum communication, and quantum sensing. We experimentally demonstrate the generation of entangled coherent states with the two-dimensional motion of a trapped ion system. Using Raman transitions with appropriate detunings, we simultaneously drive the red and blue sidebands of the two transverse axes of a single trapped ion and observe multi-periodic entanglement and disentanglement of its spin and two-dimensional motion. Then, by measuring the spin state, we herald entangled coherent states of the transverse motions of the trapped ion and observe the corresponding modulation in the parity of the phonon distribution of one of the harmonic oscillators. Lastly, we trap two ions in a linear chain and realize Mølmer-Sørensen gate using two-dimensional motion.

Creation of Two-Mode Squeezed States in Atomic Mechanical Oscillators

Two-mode squeezed states, which are entangled states with bipartite quantum correlations in continuous-variable systems, are crucial in quantum information processing and metrology. Recently, continuous-variable quantum computing with the vibrational modes of trapped atoms has emerged with significant progress, featuring a high degree of control in hybridizing with spin qubits. Creating two-mode squeezed states in such a platform could enable applications that are only viable with photons. Here, we experimentally demonstrate two-mode squeezed states by employing atoms in a two-dimensional optical lattice as quantum registers. The states are generated by a controlled projection conditioned on the relative phase of two independent squeezed states. The individual squeezing is created by sudden jumps of the oscillators' frequencies, allowing generating of the two-mode squeezed states at a rate within a fraction of the oscillation frequency. We validate the states by entanglement steering criteria and Fock state analysis. Our results can be applied in other mechanical oscillators for quantum sensing and continuous-variable quantum information.

Coherence-Based Operational Nonclassicality Criteria

The nonclassicality of quantum states is a fundamental resource for quantum technologies and quantum information tasks, in general. In particular, a pivotal aspect of quantum states lies in their coherence properties, encoded in the nondiagonal terms of their density matrix in the Fock-state bosonic basis. We present operational criteria to detect the nonclassicality of individual quantum coherences that use only data obtainable in experimentally realistic scenarios. We analyze and compare the robustness of the nonclassical coherence aspects when the states pass through lossy and noisy channels. The criteria can be immediately applied to experiments with light, atoms, solid-state system, and mechanical oscillators, thus providing a toolbox allowing practical experiments to more easily detect the nonclassicality of generated states.

Programmable Quantum Simulations of Bosonic Systems with Trapped Ions

Trapped atomic ion crystals are a leading platform for quantum simulations of spin systems, with programmable and long-range spin-spin interactions mediated by excitations of phonons in the crystal. We describe a complementary approach for quantum simulations of bosonic systems using phonons in trapped-ion crystals, here mediated by excitations of the trapped-ion spins. The scheme enables a high degree of programability across a dense graph of bosonic couplings, utilizing long-lived collective phonon modes in a trapped-ion chain. As such, it is well suited for tackling hard problems such as boson sampling and simulations of long-range bosonic and spin-boson Hamiltonians.

Determination of Multimode Motional Quantum States in a Trapped Ion System

Trapped atomic ions are a versatile platform for studying interactions between spins and bosons by coupling the internal states of the ions to their motion. Measurement of complex motional states with multiple modes is challenging, because all motional state populations can only be measured indirectly through the spin state of ions. Here we present a general method to determine the Fock state distributions and to reconstruct the density matrix of an arbitrary multimode motional state. We experimentally verify the method using different entangled states of multiple radial modes in a five-ion chain. This method can be extended to any system with Jaynes-Cummings-type interactions.

Quantum Non-Gaussianity of Multiphonon States of a Single Atom

Quantum non-Gaussian mechanical states are already required in a range of applications. The discrete building blocks of such states are the energy eigenstates-Fock states. Despite progress in their preparation, the remaining imperfections can still invisibly cause loss of the aspects critical for their applications. We derive and apply the most challenging hierarchy of quantum non-Gaussian criteria on the characterization of single trapped-ion oscillator mechanical Fock states with up to 10 phonons. We analyze the depth of these quantum non-Gaussian features under intrinsic mechanical heating and predict their requirement for reaching quantum advantage in the sensing of a mechanical force.

Temperature estimation of a pair of trapped ions

We apply estimation theory to a system formed by two interacting trapped ions. By using the Fisher matrix formalism, we introduce a simple scheme for estimation of the temperature of the longitudinal vibrational modes of the ions. We use the ions interaction to effectively infer the temperature of the individual ions, by optimising the interaction time evolution and by measuring only over one of the ions. We also investigate the effect of a non-thermal reservoir over the inference approach. The non-classicality of one of the ions vibrational modes, introduced due to a squeezed thermal reservoir, does not directly affect the inference of the individual temperatures, although allowing the modes to be entangled. To check actual experimental conditions, we analyze the temperature inference under heating due to surface-electrode noise.

Thermally induced entanglement of atomic oscillators

Laser cooled ions trapped in a linear Paul trap are long-standing ideal candidates for realizing quantum simulation, especially of many-body systems. The properties that contribute to this also provide the opportunity to demonstrate unexpected quantum phenomena in few-body systems. A pair of ions interacting in such traps exchange vibrational quanta through the Coulomb interaction. This linear interaction can be anharmonically modulated by an elementary coupling to the internal two-level structure of one of the ions. Driven by thermal energy in the passively coupled oscillators, which are themselves coupled to the internal ground states of the ions, the nonlinear interaction autonomously and unconditionally generates entanglement between the mechanical modes of the ions. We examine this counter-intuitive thermally induced entanglement for several experimentally feasible model systems and propose parameter regimes where state-of-the-art trapped ion systems can produce such phenomena. In addition, we demonstrate a multiqubit enhancement of such thermally induced entanglements.

Continuous-Variable Assisted Thermal Quantum Simulation

Simulation of a quantum many-body system at finite temperatures is crucially important but quite challenging. Here we present an experimentally feasible quantum algorithm assisted with continuous variable for simulating quantum systems at finite temperatures. Our algorithm has a time complexity scaling polynomially with the inverse temperature and the desired accuracy. We demonstrate the quantum algorithm by simulating a finite temperature phase diagram of the quantum Ising and Kitaev models. It is found that the important crossover phase diagram of the Kitaev ring can be accurately simulated by a quantum computer with only a few qubits and thus the algorithm may be implementable on current quantum processors. We further propose a protocol with superconducting or trapped ion quantum computers.