QIP using ions
Trapped ions (charged atoms) provide in one system both a repository for quantum information, and a means of manipulating and storing it. Because the ions carry an electrical charge, they are relatively easy to "steer" with external voltages. They can be moved through macroscopic distances without disturbing the quantum information they embody, and made to interact through controlled collisions to process that information. This project will combine the manipulation and measurement of the state of the ions with the fabrication of custom-designed chips to control their positions.
For further information please contact Andrew Steane (Oxford) at mailto:a.steane1@physics.ox.ac.uk
Six individual calcium ions glowing in an ion trap. By moving such ions with external electric fields, quantum information can not only be manipulated but also transported from one place to another.