Quantum Information Processing

We propose a theory/experiment collaboration that will work towards reliable, scalable quantum information processing. Theory and experiment will be connected and interleaved at several levels. On the theory side, we will study issues concerned with the underlying information technology, and issues that arise when quantum information theory is applied to real physical systems, especially to gas phase systems using atoms and light fields. On the experimental side, we will develop scalable quantum component technology based on gas phase systems using atoms and light fields. We will learn to manipulate cold atoms in optical lattices for quantum computation, and we will learn to manipulate cold atoms in high finesse optical cavities in order to produce numbered photon states, including single photons. The similarity in the technology used in our quantum computation and photon generation schemes presents the long term possibility of integrating the two systems, so that either quantum computers will be able to communicate via photons or quantum computers can be used as repeater stages in the transmission of quantum photon states. Technological uniformity will also make it easier to develop unified theoretical models of the experiments. Furthermore, the simplicity and scalability of atom based approaches to quantum computing will be an aid to the theory, and help clarify the challenges to quantum computing implementations in general.