Advancing the frontiers of quantum science and engineering

Abstract: We report the implementation of a novel barium-based quantum processor utilizing a surface ion trap. The system features enhanced optical access and superior vacuum pressures (< 3 × 10⁻¹¹ mbar) compared to similar setups, achieved by centrally mounting the surface trap within the chamber rather than on a flange. The system has three types of atomic sources, each requiring its own specialized preparation and installation methods but enabling a broader range of experiments (naturally abundant metallic barium, naturally abundant barium in salt form, and enriched barium in salt form). In this talk, I will discuss the challenges, setbacks, and solutions encountered during the assembly of the trap and atomic sources.

Abstract: Superradiance stands as a hallmark phenomenon in collective quantum optics. Iwill show the unraveling of superradiant dynamics into individual quantumtrajectories via homodyne detection. Remarkably, despite the presence ofentanglement, these trajectories can be effectively treated as product statesfor describing local observables. This findings drastically simplies thecomplexity of superradiant phenomona and can lead to fully classcial and exactdescription in some scenerios, offering both analytical treatment and intuitiveunderstanding. Furthermore, I will show that our approach extends to regimesdominated by subradiant decay. Finally, I will present a novel emergentcollective behavior in waveguide QED uncovered by this trajectory-basedperspective, which renders superradiance robust to strongdisorders.   Ref: Xin H. H. Zhang, Daniel Malz, Peter Rabl, Phys. Rev. Lett. 135, 033602(2025); Xin H. H. Zhang, Daniel Malz, Peter Rabl, arXiv: 2510.13671.

Venue: CQT Level 3 Seminar Room, S15-03-15

Abstract: The nitrogen vacancy (NV) center in diamond exhibits spin-dependent fluorescence and long spin coherence times under ambient conditions, enabling applications in quantum information processing and sensing. NV centers near the surface can have strong interactions with external materials and spins, enabling new forms of nanoscale spectroscopy. However, NV spin coherence degrades within 100 nanometers of the surface, suggesting that diamond surfaces are plagued with ubiquitous defects. I will describe our recent efforts to correlate direct materials characterization with single spin measurements to devise methods to stabilize highly coherent NV centers within nanometers of the surface. We deploy these coherent shallow NV centers for a new nanoscale sensing technique, whereby we use covariance measurements of two or more NV centers to measure two-point magnetic field correlators. We demonstrate measurements of correlated applied noise using spin-to-charge readout of two NV centers and implement a spectral reconstruction protocol for disentangling local and nonlocal noise sources. We also demonstrate massively multiplexed magnetometry with high fidelity spin readout of hundreds of NV centers simultaneously. Finally, we develop protocols to use optically unresolved NV center pairs, entangled states of NV center pairs, and nuclear spins as multi-qubit sensors for measuring correlated noise, enabling covariance magnetometry at nanometer length scales. This novel quantum sensing platform will allow us to measure new physical quantities that are otherwise inaccessible with current tools, particularly in condensed matter systems where two-point correlators can be used to characterize charge transport, magnetism, and non-equilibrium dynamics.Our approach for correlating surface spectroscopy techniques with single qubit measurements to realize directed improvements is generally applicable to many systems. Separately, I will describe our recent efforts to tackle noise and microwave losses in superconducting qubits. Building large, useful quantum systems based on transmon qubits will require significant improvements in qubit relaxation and coherence times, which are orders of magnitude shorter than limits imposed by bulk properties of the constituent materials. This indicates that loss likely originates from uncontrolled surfaces, interfaces, and contaminants. Previous efforts to improve qubit lifetimes have focused primarily on designs that minimize contributions from surfaces. However, significant improvements in the lifetime of 2D transmon qubits have remained elusive for several years. We have recently fabricated 2D transmon qubits that have both lifetimes and coherence times exceeding 0.3 milliseconds by using tantalum as the material in the capacitor. Following this discovery, we have parametrized the remaining sources of loss in state-of-the-art devices using systematic measurements of the dependence of loss on temperature, power, and geometry. This parametrization, complemented by direct materials characterization, allows for rational, directed improvement of superconducting qubits. We have used this playbook to tackle the dominant sources of loss and noise to realize 2D transmons with coherence times exceeding 1 millisecond and lifetimes up to 1.68 milliseconds. Because we have improved the underlying material system without alteration to the qubit architecture, these qubits are readily translated to existing control schemes, and we demonstrate single qubit gates with 99.994% fidelity.

The goal of this workshop is to bring the active research community together to discuss the progress, challenges and new possible directions for quantum repeaters and networks. We invite researchers working on key enabling technologies and system integration, protocols for connecting repeaters across network links with high fidelity, architectures for large-scale networks, and applications of distributed quantum entanglement. The WQRN has been and continues to be a limited-attendance, few-day workshop, in which participants are given the opportunity to share ideas, directions, and concerns to advance the state of the field. Talks are by invitation only and catered to broadly cover the applications, theory, components, and worldwide directions in quantum repeaters and networks. These talks frame group discussion sessions for which all participants are welcome to contribute; participants are also welcome to contribute to a poster session.