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Topological Pumping of Ultracold Atoms for Quantum Information Science

Project description

New approach to precise and reprogrammable quantum systems

Advances in quantum technology are reshaping understanding of computation, offering the potential to solve problems far beyond the reach of classical systems. However, achieving this requires overcoming certain challenges including noise, limited programmability and scalability in current quantum systems. Ultracold atoms in optical lattices are a promising platform for quantum hardware owing to their exceptional coherence and scalability. However, restricted programmability and limited qubit connectivity limit their use. The ERC-funded PumpQIN project will introduce topological pumping – a highly precise method to guide atomic motion without dispersion – and controlled collisions to enable programmable interactions for quantum operations. Project breakthroughs could redefine quantum information science and advance other fields including condensed matter physics and quantum chemistry.

Objective

Quantum information provides a unifying theoretical concept for condensed matter physics, quantum chemistry, information processing, cosmology, and other natural sciences. Processing quantum information is an emerging experimental frontier, but decoherence and scale limit our ability to gain a practical quantum advantage (noisy intermediate-scale quantum, 'NISQ' era). Ultracold atoms in optical lattices exhibit excellent prerequisites for building highly coherent and scalable quantum hardware, as evidenced by their use in optical clocks and atom interferometers. Yet, quantum processing in optical lattices has so far been limited by restricted programmability and qubit connectivity.

PumpQIN aims at establishing a universal quantum processing architecture based on topological pumping and controlled collisions between ultracold atoms in optical lattices. A topological pump can be considered a bidirectional, dispersionless, and robustly quantised method for programming atomic motion. Collisions between atoms can thus be configured in time and space, realising coherent two-qubit gates. Milestones of this project include 1) local control over topological pump trajectories, 2) the realisation of a universal quantum processor with motionally coherent bosons, as well as 3) fermionic quantum processing. These objectives will be achieved by constructing a novel quantum gas apparatus with rubidium and potassium atoms.

The results of PumpQIN will not only redefine how we think about atoms in optical lattices, but also lead the way towards a 'beyond-NISQ' era. Especially the realisation fermionic processing will establish an interdisciplinary frontier in experimental quantum information science with immediate implications for condensed matter physics and quantum chemistry.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

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Keywords

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Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

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Funding Scheme

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HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants

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Call for proposal

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(opens in new window) ERC-2025-STG

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Host institution

EIDGENOESSISCHE TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE ZUERICH
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 2 012 780,00
Address
Raemistrasse 101
8092 Zuerich
Switzerland

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Region
Schweiz/Suisse/Svizzera Zürich Zürich
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 2 012 780,00

Beneficiaries (1)

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