Detail Project and Funding

Abstract: The Project investigates ultra-cold atom/molecule quantum matter technology for quantum information computational tasks. Our efforts concentrate on atoms/molecules confined in periodic nanostructures, either externally imposed by optical lattices, or self-generated by atomic/molecular interactions. Parallel quantum processing in periodic nanostructures is expected to lead to significant advances in different areas of quantum information. The Project aims at developing novel techniques for quantum engineering and quantum control of ultra-cold atoms and molecules confined in the periodic nanostructures. An innovative aspect is the development of appropriate tools for achieving quantum control of strongly correlated many body systems at the nanoscale by exploiting moderate- and long-range quantum mechanical interactions. Strongly correlated interacting systems offer a level of computational power that cannot be reached with traditional qubits based on spin, or hyperfine atomic states. Moderate and long, range interactions will be exploited in few body quantum systems in order to produce fast quantum gates using novel robust qubit and/or qudit concepts and using quantum states with topological order, all of them highly relevant for next generation quantum information implementations.
The objectives rely on the nano-design of atomic/molecular quantum matter at the mesoscopic scale of few-body systems. Generation and detection of multiparticle quantum entanglement, robustness of non-traditional qubits, quantum memories characterise our investigation. The Project will implement new quantum information technologies by achieving the following breakthroughs: characterizing long range interacting systems for optimal quantum information; realizing individual manipulation integrated in proper algorithms; designing new protected qubits or quantum information processors based on long range interactions; developing techniques for topological quantum computation; creating multi-particle entanglement for quantum simulation investigations. At the present stage of the quantum information development our objectives are unique for the optical lattice quantum matter technology. As far as the visionary aspects are concerned, the technological and conceptual advances resulting from the planned investigations on multi-particle entanglement, topological structures and nano-optical engineering may lead to the identification of new directions and alternative approaches towards scalable and miniaturisable quantum information processing.