13 June 2002

Quantum computing: Qubit power

Memory in quantum computers is created by the manipulation of quantum bits. In contrast to classical computers, where memory is a string of 'ones' and 'zeros', quantum bits (or qubits) can be in a superposition of many different states at once, so a quantum computer has the potential to be much more powerful than a classical computer. The only physical system for which all the ingredients necessary for quantum computing have been demonstrated in the laboratory is ion trap technology, but it has not been clear whether the ion trap system is scalable in practice. Kielpinski et al. now propose an architecture for a large-scale quantum computer based on an array of interconnected ion traps that overcomes some of the obstacles and makes computing with large numbers of qubits a realistic goal.

Architecture for a large-scale ion-trap quantum computer
D. KIELPINSKI , C. MONROE & D. J. WINELAND
Nature 417, 709–711 (2002); doi:10.1038/nature00784
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