The basic requirements for quantum computing and quantum simulation (single- and multi-qubit gates, long memory times, etc.) have been demonstrated in separate experiments on trapped ions.  Construction of a large-scale information processor will require synthesis of these elements and implementation of high-fidelity operations on a very large number of qubits.  This is still well in the future.  NIST and other groups are addressing part of the scaling issue by trying to fabricate multi-zone arrays of traps that would allow highly-parallel and scalable processing.  In the near term, some simple quantum processing protocols are being used to aid in quantum metrology, such as in atomic clocks.  Interestingly, as the number of qubits increases, Schrödinger's cat paradox and the measurement problem in quantum mechanics become more apparent; with luck, trapped ion systems might be able to shed light on these fundamental issues.

Last updated on Saturday, 01 April 2006 by Victor Yakovenko