Quantum computing and networking

WQI supports robust experimental activity in three of the most promising platforms for scalable quantum computing: trapped neutral atoms, semiconducting quantum dots, and superconducting integrated circuits. Research efforts are focused on understanding and mitigating decoherence, developing scalable approaches to qubit control and measurement, and engineering topologically protected states that provide error correction at the hardware level. At the same time, WQI faculty collaborate across disciplines on the development of hybrid approaches and quantum networking schemes that will enable a distributed quantum processor involving localized nodes linked together by “flying” photonic qubits. Nitrogen vacancy (NV) centers in diamond are an essential resource in quantum networking protocols, as they combine excellent quantum coherence with optical addressability. WQI also supports robust theoretical activity in quantum computing algorithm development for qubit- and qudit-based quantum computing platforms. Research includes development of quantum computing algorithms for molecular dynamics, near-threshold scattering, and global optimization with applications to molecular structure determination, quantum processor design, and integer factorization. To anticipate the future impact of quantum computing, full-stack quantum resources required to solve high-value problems are estimated, from the application level to the algorithms, quantum error correction protocols, and physical implementations. This research involves interdisciplinary collaborations between experimentalists and theorists at WQI and with industry.