Quantum Computing

Preston Huft wins Wiki Science Photo Contest

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Preston Huft wins Wiki Science Photo Contest

Preston Huft, a graduate student in Mark Saffman’s group, was notified this week that he won the SmartElectron prize in the 2021 Wiki Science Photo Contest. Congratulations Preston!
An array of colored dots is shown.
Cesium atom array by Preston Huft. Fluorescence emitted by individual cesium-133 atoms, which have been laser cooled from a vapor in a vacuum chamber and confined in a grid of 1225 optical traps formed by laser light.

Better-than-public access to the IBM Q systems for UW–Madison

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Better-than-public access to the IBM Q systems for UW–Madison

As a member of CQE, WQI has now better-than-public access to the IBM Q systems (up to Guadelupe, 16 qubit system). To find out more about how to sign up for this capability please contact Katerina Moloni.

Collaboration between NSF quantum centers finds path to fault tolerance in neutral atom qubits

Like the classical computers we use every day, quantum computers can make mistakes when manipulating and storing the quantum bits (qubits) used to perform quantum algorithms. Theoretically, a quantum error correction protocol can correct these …

Read the full article at: https://www.physics.wisc.edu/2022/09/12/nsf-quantum-center-collaboration-finds-path-to-fault-tolerance-in-neutral-atom-qubits/

UW–Madison, industry partners run quantum algorithm on neutral atom quantum computer for the first time

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UW–Madison, industry partners run quantum algorithm on neutral atom quantum computer for the first time

A university-industry collaboration has successfully run a quantum algorithm on a type of quantum computer known as a cold atom quantum computer for the first time. The achievement by the team of scientists from the University of Wisconsin­–Madison, ColdQuanta and Riverlane brings quantum computing one step closer to being used in real-world applications. The work out of Mark Saffman’s group was published in Nature on April 20. Read the joint press release Read the press release tipsheet   

Mark Saffman talks quantum computing to UW Retirement Association

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Mark Saffman talks quantum computing to UW Retirement Association

WQI director Mark Saffman will be giving a talk to the UW retirement association Tuesday, January 4 on quantum computing. He will discuss what a quantum computer is and what sorts of problems it can solve, and share some of the research going on at WQI and how the results of that research are likely to affect the world in which we live. As a token of their appreciation the retirement association will be making a donation to a Madison area food bank.

Correlated errors in quantum computers emphasize need for design changes

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rtist rendition of a 4-qubit chip with a dotted-line-like cosmic ray hitting it from out of the image frame, lighting up two neighboring qubits "red" to indicate they are affected by the cosmic ray's energy

Correlated errors in quantum computers emphasize need for design changes

rtist rendition of a 4-qubit chip with a dotted-line-like cosmic ray hitting it from out of the image frame, lighting up two neighboring qubits "red" to indicate they are affected by the cosmic ray's energy
Quantum computers could outperform classical computers at many tasks, but only if the errors that are an inevitable part of computational tasks are isolated rather than widespread events. Now, researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have found evidence that errors are correlated across an entire superconducting quantum computing chip — highlighting a problem that must be acknowledged and addressed in the quest for fault-tolerant quantum computers. The researchers report their findings in a study published June 16 in the journal Nature, Importantly, their work also points to mitigation strategies. “I think people have been approaching the problem of error correction in an overly optimistic way, blindly making the assumption that errors are not correlated,” says UW–Madison physics Professor Robert McDermott, member of the Wisconsin Quantum Institute and senior author of the study. “Our experiments show absolutely that errors are correlated, but as we identify problems and develop a deep physical understanding, we’re going to find ways to work around them.” Read the full story at https://news.wisc.edu/correlated-errors-in-quantum-computers-emphasize-need-for-design-changes/

Shimon Kolkowitz awarded two grants to push optical atomic clocks past the standard quantum limit

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a metallic chamber with a blue fluorescence glowing orb of atoms in the center

Shimon Kolkowitz awarded two grants to push optical atomic clocks past the standard quantum limit

a metallic chamber with a blue fluorescence glowing orb of atoms in the center
Optical atomic clocks are already the gold standard for precision timekeeping, keeping time so accurately that they would only lose one second every 14 billion years. Still, they could be made to be even more precise if they could be pushed past the current limits imposed on them by quantum mechanics. With two new grants from the U.S. Army Research Office, an element of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command’s Army Research Laboratory, UW–Madison physics professor Shimon Kolkowitz proposes to introduce quantum entanglement — where atoms interact with each other even when physically distant — to optical atomic clocks. The improved clocks would allow researchers to ask questions about fundamental physics, and they have applications in improving quantum computing and GPS. Read the full story