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Versatile neutral atoms take on quantum circuits

Neutral atoms are fast becoming prime candidates for use in quantum computers. Two studies involving multiple quantum bits show how this platform enables creative solutions for building quantum circuits.
  1. Hannah J. Williams

    1. Hannah J. Williams is in the Department of Physics, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, UK.

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Many platforms for quantum computation are being explored. The most well developed use quantum bits (qubits) built from superconducting circuits1,2 or ions trapped in electrostatic fields3. But such systems are difficult to scale up beyond tens of qubits, making the task of readying them for practical computation challenging. Platforms that use neutral atoms do not have this problem. Indeed, researchers have already succeeded in creating defect-free arrays of hundreds of neutral atoms4,5, and have performed operations involving logic gates — the building blocks of quantum computers — with high fidelity using one and two qubits6. Now, Bluvstein et al.7 and Graham et al.8 show in Nature that neutral atoms can form multi-qubit quantum circuits — a key step towards realizing a practical, scalable quantum computer.

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Nature 604, 429-430 (2022)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-022-01029-y

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Competing Interests

The author declares no competing interests.

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