administrator – Ion Quantum Technology Group

BBC Politics South East: Creating a Quantum Silicon Valley in Greater Brighton

administrator — Mon, 21 Jul 2025 14:55:50 +0000

Efficient Qubit Routing for a Globally Connected Trapped Ion Quantum Computer

administrator — Fri, 28 Feb 2020 15:10:40 +0000

The cost of enabling connectivity in Noisy-Intermediate-Scale-Quantum devices is an important factor in determining computational power. A particular architecture for trapped-ion quantum computing relies on shuttling ions. An efficient ion routing algorithm has been created along with an appropriate error model, which can be used to estimate the achievable circuit depth and quantum volume as a function of experimental parameters.

Our paper has been published in Advanced Quantum Technologies 3, June 2020 Efficient Qubit routing for a globally connected trapped ion quantum computer

�鶹ӳ�� Research News press release, August 2020 �鶹ӳ�� study enables predicting computational power of early quantum computers

Minister Chris Skidmore visited our lab today

administrator — Mon, 01 Jul 2019 15:37:31 +0000

He announced £94M investment for the second phase of UK’s Quantum Technology Hubs which includes funding for the development of microwave trapped ion quantum computing at �鶹ӳ��

Engineering of Microfabricated Ion Traps and Integration of Advanced On-Chip Features

administrator — Mon, 01 Jul 2019 08:06:23 +0000

Ion trap microchips form the core of many quantum technologies, in particular, the trapped ion quantum computers. We provide an overview of state-of-the-art microfabrication techniques, as well as various considerations which motivate the choice of materials and processes. Finally, we discuss current efforts to include advanced, on-chip features into next generation ion traps. Our paper has been published in Nature Review Physics, June 2020.

Manuscript: Engineering of Microfabricated Ion Traps and Integration of Advanced On-Chip Features

Resilient entangling gates for trapped ions

administrator — Thu, 01 Nov 2018 09:00:00 +0000

Building a practical quantum computer with large numbers of qubits will require quantum gates that are robust in the presence of fluctuations in operational parameters. In addition, motional heating of trapped ions will lead to a reduced entangling gate fidelity. Here, we experimentally demonstrate an entangling gate that increases the resilience to fluctuating operational parameters and motional heating. Manuscript published in Physical Review Letters.

Manuscript: Resilient entangling gates for trapped ions

�鶹ӳ�� Press Release

Selected media coverage:

�鶹ӳ�� team wins place in Europe’s bid to win global quantum race

administrator — Mon, 29 Oct 2018 01:34:00 +0000

The �鶹ӳ��’s Ion Quantum Technology Group, headed by Professor Winfried Hensinger, has been selected to participate in the European Quantum Technology Flagship initiative.

The prestigious Flagship will see Europe positioning itself at the forefront of the global race to build a quantum computer and to see quantum technologies become a reality. This win places the UK, and �鶹ӳ�� itself, at the heart of the race.

Professor Hensinger’s team is part of a €2.4m project – ‘Microwave driven ion trap quantum computing’ – and they will be working alongside research groups from the Foundation for Theoretical and Computational Physics and Astrophysics (Bulgaria), Siegen University, Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Leibniz University, Hannover. These research groups have expertise in compact microwave technology, which currently exists in mobile phones but which may be critical in advancing quantum computing technology.

Prof Hensinger’s team unveiled the last year, which they are now constructing in their lab at the �鶹ӳ��. The group will use the £550,000 funding which will come to �鶹ӳ��, as part of the wider project, to get even closer to building a large-scale quantum computer.

Prof Hensinger says: “I’m incredibly proud that the hard work, expertise and ingenuity of �鶹ӳ��’s Ion Quantum Technology Group has been recognised by the European Commission and that we are among a handful of institutions selected for the prestigious Quantum Flagship initiative. It’s particularly encouraging given the background of Brexit – especially given the uncertainty for other UK scientists on the Galileo satellite navigation system project.

“We’ve seen Europe lag behind on other technological revolutions, and so it’s crucial that the hive of world-leading quantum research activity is focused on placing Europe at the forefront of the biggest technological conundrum facing the world today: how to build a quantum computer.”

The Flagship has been divided up into five areas: communication; computation; simulation; sensing and metrology; and basic enabling science required in those areas. The �鶹ӳ�� project falls under the basic science category, for which there were only seven successful projects out of 90 submissions.

What the �鶹ӳ�� team will do
The team will work on improving the error rates within the quantum computer they are developing. This in turn will impact the size and efficiency of the trapped-ion computer that they are in the process of developing. At present, it is estimated that the ultimate computer would fill the size of a football pitch. By focusing their efforts on reducing the magnitude of errors produced, they can in turn reduce the number of components – or qubits – which will shrink the overall size of the computer. Prof Hensinger estimates that it might be possible to bring the computer down to the size of a house.

Additionally, work over the next three years will focus on improving the resilience of the quantum computer as well as the implementation of early quantum programs to be executed on quantum computer prototypes.

Generation of high-fidelity quantum control methods for multi-level systems

administrator — Mon, 01 Oct 2018 07:50:45 +0000

We introduce a powerful technique to transform all existing two-level quantum control methods to new multi-level quantum control methods. We illustrate the technique by coherently mapping between two different qubit types with error well below the relevant fault-tolerant threshold, creating another important tool towards constructing a large scale quantum computer. Manuscript published in Physical Review A.

Manuscript: Generation of high-fidelity quantum control methods for multi-level systems

INTRODUCTION

Quantum control methods are essential in many areas of experimental quantum physics, including trapped atoms, ions and molecules, and solid state systems [1–3]. Although the focus is often on two-level systems, in nearly all experimental realizations a larger number of states need to be taken into consideration, for example, to prepare a qubit in a two-level subspace of the system or to read out the state at the end of an experiment. In addition, the unique features of multilevel systems have led to new fields of research, including electromagnetically induced transparency [4] and single-photon generation [5]. Multilevel systems are also widely used in quantum computing, with applications such as the preparation and detection of dressed-state qubits [6,7]. A variety of multilevel methods including stimulated Raman adiabatic passage (STIRAP) [8], multistate extensions of Stark-chirped rapid adiabatic passage (SCRAP) [9], and other adiabatic methods involving chirped laser fields [10–12] have been developed, in addition to numerical algorithms for optimized quantum control [13]. However, the development of new control methods for multilevel systems (especially for high-fidelity operations) is challenging and often inhibited by the mathematical complexity of such higher-dimensional Hilbert spaces. Previous investigations into multilevel dynamics have studied coherent excitation of multilevel systems under the action of SU(2) Hamiltonians [14–18]. They showed that for a Hamiltonian with this symmetry there exists an equivalent Hamiltonian acting on a two-level system, and the dynamics of this twolevel Hamiltonian can then be used to find solutions for the dynamics of the higher-dimensional system.

�鶹ӳ�� quantum physicist gives evidence to MPs on future of technology

administrator — Thu, 19 Jul 2018 15:00:37 +0000

Professor Winfried Hensinger, Director of the and Head of the �鶹ӳ�� Ion Quantum Technology Group appeared before the House of Commons’ Science and Technology Select Committee on 17 July, to give evidence as part of the Committee’s exploring the opportunities and challenges for new quantum technologies. A of Professor Hensinger’s evidence is available on Parliament’s website and a transcript of the session will be published on the in due course, alongside written evidence the University has provided to the Committee as part of its inquiry.

Quantum technologies seek to harness the theories of quantum physics in the development of new cutting-edge applications. This includes the theory that an atom can be in two different places at the same time (known as “quantum superposition”) and the theory that atoms can be linked, so that changing one atom can also change another (known as “quantum entanglement”).

Researchers at the �鶹ӳ�� are working on the development of a broad range of quantum technologies, as part of an interdisciplinary approach that brings together expertise from across different academic disciplines. These technologies include ‘ghost imaging’ that will allow people to look around corners, high precision quantum clocks, quantum networks, a range of quantum sensors (including devices that can monitor brain activity) and the construction of a prototype quantum computer.

Referring to the development of quantum computers, told MPs they had the potential to solve certain problems which even the fastest super computers would take “billions of years” to calculate and presented “tremendous opportunities” to transform our lives.

Professor Hensinger said; “It’s very unlikely we understand all the opportunities quantum computers pose, similar to when we first built conventional computers.”

While the first conventional computers allowed us to break encryption as early as the 1940s, most of the applications of conventional computers have only been developed in the last 30 years.

Professor Hensinger described to MPs the potential of quantum technology to inspire the next generation of scientists, referring to the positive response young people had given to an innovative walk-in quantum computing installation . The University took the installation to London’s Spitalfields Market last year, to educate the public about the quantum computer being developed by Professor Hensinger and his team.

He also stressed the importance of the National Quantum Technology Programme and its impact in developing ready to market technologies than can capitalise on the UK’s unique expertise. Professor Hensinger summarised some of the achievements of the programme and made suggestions for its continuation.

University wins national awards for recruitment and public engagement work

administrator — Thu, 19 Jul 2018 13:29:43 +0000

The �鶹ӳ�� won both gold and silver at the national for education marketing in Manchester on Thursday 12 July.

In the category of ‘best community/business engagement campaign’, the University’s delivery of a powerful for Quantum Technology received a gold award.

In August 2017, �鶹ӳ�� staff invited members of the public to join them in an innovative pop-up lab in London’s Spitalfields Market to learn about the University’s cutting-edge work to build the world’s first large-scale practical quantum computer..

The project was led by Head of Campaigns, , in conjunction with Professor of Quantum Technologies, .

Sarah said: “This project was a brilliant creative collaboration with Professor Hensinger and his team, as well as many other colleagues from across the University. I’m really pleased that everyone’s work on the project has been recognised at the HEIST Awards.”

Judges cited the ‘innovative and creative’ project as a ‘fantastic example of how research can be commercialised and a great project to get the subject of Quantum Physics to the heart of the financial centre.’

�鶹ӳ��’s community festival project was also shortlisted in this category.

The University’s ‘Let’s change things’ campaign won silver in the category of ‘best undergraduate student recruitment initiative’.

The ‘powerful and effective marketing campaign’ incorporated new confident messaging, distinctive design and photography, and more focused targeting of potential students – including on public transport and at competitor open days. It received praise from judges for demonstrating real results and a wider impact beyond recruitment.

The campaign was led by Head of Marketing, . Katy said: ““These awards are a reflection of what we are already capable of as a division. It makes me feel immensely proud of us all, and really ambitious for our future.”

We’re expanding out team

administrator — Sun, 01 Jul 2018 15:25:55 +0000

We are expanding our team! We have a number of PhD and postdoctoral positions available as well as a centre administrator position. More information available .