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Quantum walks and hybrid-optimization on a trapped-ion quantum computer

Norbert M. Linke, JQI, University of Maryland

Nielsen Physics Bldg., Room 307

April 20, 2020

11:00 – 12:00

We present a quantum computer comprised of a chain of 171Yb+ ions with individual Raman beam addressing and individual readout [1]. This fully connected processor can be configured to run any sequence of single- and two-qubit gates, making it in effect an arbitrarily programmable system.
We use this versatile setup to perform a quantum walk algorithm that realizes a simulation of the free Dirac equation where the quantum coin determines the particle mass [2]. We also construct a quantum-classical hybrid system. This approach offers a path towards solving a range of problems efficiently by combining a classical optimizer with a noisy quantum machine. We present several demonstrations, including generative modelling and solving the max-cut problem [3]. Recent results from these efforts, and concepts for scaling up the architecture will be discussed.

[1] S. Debnath et al., Nature 563:63 (2016).

[2] C. Huerta Alderete et al., arXiv:2002.02537.

[3] O. Shehab et al., arXiv:1906.00476

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Norbert M. Linke is a Fellow of the Joint Quantum Institute at the University of Maryland, working on quantum applications with trapped ions, including quantum computing. Born in Munich, Germany, he graduated from the University of Ulm, Germany, and received his doctorate at the University of Oxford, UK, working on micro-fabricated ion-traps and microwave-addressing of ions. Before becoming a faculty member, he spent four years as a post-doc and research scientist in the group of Chris Monroe at the JQI where he led a project that turned a physics experiment into a programmable quantum computer.