[Colloquium] Quantum Computing and Simulation with Atomic Ions

Quantum Computing and Simulation with Atomic Ions

Speaker: Jungsang Kim

Affiliation: Duke University

Research Interests: Optical Systems, Imaging Systems, Quantum Communications 

Abstract: 20th century started with the discovery of quantum physics, the laws of nature at the subatomic scale, and the scientific community made significant progress understanding the strange and counterintuitive behavior of quantum systems. Through the turn of the century, scientists started to develop technologies to control these quantum systems at will, leading to the ideas and development of new information processing approaches embracing quantum physics. The last decade has seen serious progress in quantum computing technology, leading to commercialization efforts that created an early quantum computing industry. In this talk I will describe the foundations of quantum computing, and our approach of building practical quantum computers using atomic ions trapped using electric fields. Through this example, I will discuss the process of how new scientific discoveries can turn into new technological opportunity by disruptive innovation, and more disruptive opportunities in quantum technologies ahead.