Efficient motional-mode characterization for high-fidelity trapped-ion quantum computing

A method of using an ion trap quantum computer, comprising:

• performing, by a system controller, a first measurement of bright-state population of each ion in an ion chain comprising a plurality of ions at a fixed time duration, the each ion coupled to one of motional modes of the ion chain, while varying laser coupling frequency for coupling the each ion and the one of the motional modes;
• computing, by a processor in a digital computer, mode frequency of the one of the motional mode based on a frequency at which the bright-state population of the each ion measured in the first measurement is maximized;
• computing, by the processor in the digital computer, coupling strength of the each ion and the one of the motional modes by fitting the maximized bright-state population of the each ion measured in the first measurement to a value of the bright-state population computed based on the computed mode frequency of the one of the motional modes and non-zero temperature effect of the motional modes;
• performing, by the system controller, a second measurement of bright-state population of each ion in the ion chain at a fixed time duration, each ion coupled to one of the motional modes, to which the each ion has not been coupled in the first measurement, while the laser coupling frequency for coupling the each ion and the one of the motional modes is fixed;
• computing, by the processor in the digital computer, coupling strength of the each ion and the one of the motional mode by fitting the bright-state population of the each ion measured in the second measurement to a value of the bright-state population computed based on the computed mode frequency of the one of the motional modes and non-zero temperature effect of the motional modes,
• selecting, by the processor in the digital computer, a quantum algorithm to be implemented on the plurality of ions;
• compiling, by the processor in the digital computer, the selected quantum algorithm into a series of universal logic gates;
• translating, by the processor in the digital computer, the series of universal logic gates into a series of pair-wise entangling gate operations to apply on the plurality of ions in the ion chain;
• computing, by the processor in the digital computer, amplitudes and detuning frequencies of laser pulses to cause the series of pair-wise entangling gate operations based on the computed coupling strength of motional mods and ions;
• applying, by a system controller, the laser pulses having the computed amplitudes and detuning frequencies to the plurality of ions in the ion chain;
• measuring, by the system controller, population of qubit states of the plurality of ions in the ion chain;
• and
• processing, by the processor in the digital computer, quantum information corresponding to the qubit states of the plurality of ions in the ion chain based on the measured population of the qubit states;
• and
• generating and outputting, by the processor in the digital computer, a solution to the selected quantum algorithm based on the processed results of the quantum computations.

A method of using an ion trap quantum computer, comprising:

• performing a first measurement of bright-state population of each ion in an ion chain comprising a plurality of ions at a fixed time duration, the each ion coupled to one of motional modes of the ion chain, while varying laser coupling frequency for coupling the each ion and the one of the motional modes;
• computing mode frequency of the one of the motional mode based on a frequency at which the bright-state population of the each ion measured in the first measurement is maximized;
• performing a second measurement of bright-state population of each ion in the ion chain at a plurality of time durations, each ion coupled to one of the motional modes, while the laser coupling frequency for coupling the each ion and the one of the motional modes is fixed;
• and
• computing coupling strength of the each ion and the one of the motional mode by fitting the bright-state population of the each ion measured in the second measurement to a value of the bright-state population computed based on the computed mode frequency of the one of the motional modes and non-zero temperature effect of the motional modes.

A method of using an ion trap quantum computer, comprising:

• performing, by a system controller, a first measurement of bright-state population of each ion in an ion chain comprising a plurality of ions at a fixed time duration, the each ion coupled to one of motional modes of the ion chain, while varying laser coupling frequency for coupling the each ion and the one of the motional modes;
• computing, by a processor in a digital computer, mode frequency of the one of the motional mode based on a frequency at which the bright-state population of the each ion measured in the first measurement is maximized;
• performing, by system controller, a second measurement of bright-state population of each ion in the ion chain at a plurality of time durations, each ion coupled to one of the motional modes, while the laser coupling frequency for coupling the each ion and the one of the motional modes is fixed;
• computing, by the processor in the digital computer, coupling strength of the each ion and the one of the motional mode by fitting the bright-state population of the each ion measured in the second measurement to a value of the bright-state population computed based on the computed mode frequency of the one of the motional modes and non-zero temperature effect of the motional modes;
• selecting, by the processor in the digital computer, a quantum algorithm to be implemented on the plurality of ions;
• compiling, by the processor in the digital computer, the selected quantum algorithm into a series of universal logic gates;
• translating, by the processor in the digital computer, the series of universal logic gates into a series of pair-wise entangling gate operations to apply on the plurality of ions in the ion chain;
• computing, by the processor in the digital computer, amplitudes and detuning frequencies of laser pulses to cause the series of pair-wise entangling gate operations based on the computed coupling strength of motional mods and ions;
• applying, by a system controller, the laser pulses having the computed amplitudes and detuning frequencies to the plurality of ions in the ion chain;
• measuring, by the system controller, population of qubit states of the plurality of ions in the ion chain;
• and
• processing, by the processor in the digital computer, quantum information corresponding to the qubit states of the plurality of ions in the ion chain based on the measured population of the qubit states;
• and
• generating and outputting, by the processor in the digital computer, a solution to the selected quantum algorithm based on the processed results of the quantum computations.

A quantum computing system, comprising:

• an ion chain comprising a plurality of ions, each ion in the ion chain having two hyperfine states defining a qubit;
• a system controller;
• and
• a classical computer comprising a processor and non-volatile memory having a number of instructions stored therein which, when executed by the processor, causes the quantum computing system to perform operations comprising:
• performing, by the system controller, a first measurement of bright-state population of each ion in the ion chain at a fixed time duration, the each ion coupled to one of motional modes of the ion chain, while varying laser coupling frequency for coupling the each ion and the one of the motional modes;
• computing, by the processor, mode frequency of the one of the motional mode based on a frequency at which the bright-state population of the each ion measured in the first measurement is maximized;
• performing, by the system controller, a second measurement of bright-state population of each ion in the ion chain, each ion coupled to one of the motional modes, while the laser coupling frequency for coupling the each ion and the one of the motional modes is fixed;
• and
• computing, by the processor, coupling strength of each ion in the ion chain and one of the motional modes of the ion chain based on based on the bright-state population measured in the first measurement, the bright-state population measured in the second measurement, the computed mode frequency of the one of the motional modes, and non-zero temperature effect of the motional modes.