Overview
Trapped atomic ions are the basis of the world’s most advanced quantum computers. We trap the ions in an ultra-high vacuum chamber using electric fields and control them with laser beams.
Team leader
Associate Professor Erik Streed
My current bio-efforts focus on combining ion trapping with advanced microscopy to unravel structural questions about the dynamics of biomolecules. My work in quantum physics focuses on solving the problem of getting light into and out of quantum computers using an approach based on the segmented optics found in lighthouses.
Our research
Our lab focuses on two main projects:
- Building miniature optics into the trap structure, using integrated circuit technology. These optics act as high-resolution microscopes to image the ions. They enabled us to obtain the world’s first image of the shadow of a single atom.
- Controlling ions with ultrafast laser pulses. By using laser pulses of picosecond (10-12 s) duration, we plan to exert extremely strong forces on ions. These strong forces can be used to increase the clock rate of quantum computers by a hundredfold.