IonQ's Approach: Trapped Ions
The quantum computing research company IonQ creates qubits using individual atoms, specifically ions (atoms with electrons removed). These ions are suspended or "trapped" using electromagnetic fields, which are then manipulated using precisely controlled laser pulses.
IonQ's Trapped Ion Technology
IonQ's quantum computers use trapped ions as qubits. Because ions do not have electrons, they have a positive charge. This means that we may "trap" the electrons in place using a negative electromagnetic field!
Ion Trap Visualization
Ions in trap: 0
Each ion represents a qubit in IonQ's quantum computer. The gray bars display the boundaries of the electromagnetic field that traps the ions in place!
How Lasers Control Qubits
IonQ uses precisely controlled laser pulses to:
- Initialize qubits - Set ions to a known quantum state
- Perform quantum gates - Manipulate qubits to perform calculations
- Create entanglement - Link qubits together for complex operations
- Read out results - Measure the final state of qubits
Similar to the way a classical computer works, quantum computers use circuits called quantum gates, which function to manipulate the state of qubits in order to create algorithms (instructions for the quantum computer to follow).
Some of the most common quantum gates and their functions can be seen below:
Common Quantum Gates
| Gate | Description | Classical Analog |
|---|---|---|
| X Gate | Flips the state of a qubit (|0⟩ ↔ |1⟩) | NOT gate |
| H Gate | Creates superposition | No classical analog |
| CNOT Gate | Entangles two qubits | XOR operation |
| Z Gate | Phase flip | No classical analog |