Abstract: Research in quantum computing has offered many new physical insights and a potential to exponentially increase the computational power that can be harnessed to solve important problems in science and technology. The largest fundamental barrier to building a scalable quantum computer is errors caused by decoherence. Topological quantum computing overcomes this barrier by exploiting topological materials which, by their nature, limit errors. In this colloquium, I will discuss how to engineer topological superconductors supporting Majorana zero-energy modes at the interface of a conventional superconductor and a semiconductor with spin-orbit interaction. I will present recent results by the Microsoft Quantum team consistent with the emergence of topological superconductivity in proximitized semiconductor nanowires. Finally, I will present a proposal for scalable quantum computing involving topological qubits which comprise of superconducting islands in a Coulomb blockade regime hosting aggregates of four or more Majorana zero modes.
Location: ATL 2400
JQI Seminars are held on Mondays during Fall and Spring semesters at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time in Room 2400 of the Atlantic Building. University of Maryland affiliates may participate using Zoom. The seminars are also livestreamed on the JQI YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/JQInews), which supports audience participation in the chat interface.