Physics Colloquium: Mikhail Lukin, Harvard Department of Physics

New frontier of quantum computing

A broad effort is currently underway to develop quantum processors that can outperform classical counterparts for certain computational, simulation or sensing tasks. The practical realization of such systems and exploration of their potential capabilities and limitations are central themes in the new field of quantum science and engineering. A central challenge in quantum computing is error suppression, which requires quantum error correction for large-scale processing. However, the overhead involved in creating error-corrected “logical” qubits—where information is redundantly encoded across multiple physical qubits—presents a significant obstacle to scalable quantum computing.

In this talk, we will discuss recent advances in the programmable, coherent manipulation of quantum systems using neutral atom arrays excited into Rydberg states. These advances allow control over several hundred physical qubits and the exploration of quantum algorithms with encoded logical qubits and quantum error correction techniques. Enabled by interdisciplinary effort involving a remarkable group of students and postdocs,  these advances have redefined the frontier of quantum computing and quantum information. They herald the advent of early error-corrected quantum computation, paving the way for new applications and inspiring a shift in addressing both the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. Examples of such emerging applications, from quantum many-body physics  to  new types of “blind” quantum computing and quantum computing enhanced imaging will be discussed.