Chinese scientists build world's largest ion trap quantum simulation

A team of Chinese scientists has achieved a breakthrough in quantum simulation, building the world's largest ion trap system with single-qubit resolution. The milestone achievement marks a significant leap towards large-scale quantum computing.

"This work is the largest quantum simulation or computation performed to date in a trapped ion system. This is a milestone to be recognized," commented the peer reviewer of the the study published in the journal Nature on Wednesday. 

The breakthrough was achieved under the leadership of Duan Luming, a quantum physicist renowned for his pioneering research. Duan, also the corresponding author of the published paper, said that "our work provides a powerful tool for delving into the intricacies of quantum science, and paving the way for the advent of large-scale quantum computing."

"This innovation has the potential to be applied to realms like materials and pharmaceutical development, engineering, and artificial intelligence," Duan added.  

Like bits in classical computers, qubits are the building blocks of quantum computers. However, controlling and manipulating qubits consistently is a major challenge due to their delicate quantum nature.

Large-scale quantum computing and simulation require two key features: a large number of qubits (qubit capacity) and the ability to read out the state of each qubit individually, said the study.

Ion traps, a leading platform for quantum information processing, have achieved simulations with tens of ions by confining them with electromagnetic fields. This makes them highly promising for future large-scale applications. However, a major challenge remains of balancing stable trapping of a large number of ions with the precise control needed for individual manipulation.

Despite achieving quantum simulations with around 200 trapped ions, previous limitations in individually measuring their states hindered the extraction of crucial data. This bottleneck restricted progress towards more powerful and versatile quantum computing applications.

Using cryogenic monolithic ion trap technology and a two-dimensional scheme, researchers from Tsinghua University realized a stable trapping of 512 ions for the first time.

Additionally, the team has also successfully conducted quantum state measurements with "single-qubit resolution" across an unprecedented 300 ions, according to the study.

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Chinese scientists make major breakthrough in quantum simulation tech