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Steane Error Correction with Trapped Ions

Quantum states can quickly decohere due to their interaction with the environment and imperfections in the applied quantum controls. Quantum error correction promises to preserve coherence by encoding the state of each qubit into a multi-qubit state with a high-degree of symmetry. Perturbations are first detected by measuring the symmetries of the quantum state and then corrected by applying a set of gates based on the measurements.

Observation of a finite-energy phase transition in a one-dimensional quantum simulator

One of the most striking many-body phenomena in nature is the sudden change of macroscopic properties as the temperature or energy reaches a critical value. Such equilibrium transitions have been predicted and observed in two and three spatial dimensions, but have long been thought not to exist in one-dimensional (1D) systems.

Research

Quantum simulation, which uses precise control over one quantum system to mimic the behavior of many others, is among the most compelling applications of quantum information science. A large and reliable quantum simulator would enhance our fundamental understanding of nature, equipping scientists with a universal tool for querying the vast expanses of high- and low-energy quantum physics.