Efficient implementation of a quantum algorithm with a trapped ion qudit

Area of Science:

• Quantum Information Science
• Atomic Physics
• Quantum Computing

Background:

• Quantum advantage is hindered by control overhead in large quantum systems.
• Qubit-based devices face limitations, while qudits offer potential hardware and algorithmic efficiencies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate multi-tone control of a single trapped ion qudit up to eight levels.
• To implement Grover's search algorithm on qudits with dimensions five and eight.

Main Methods:

• Utilized multi-tone control for a single trapped ion qudit.
• Implemented Grover's search algorithm on 5- and 8-dimensional qudits.

Main Results:

• Achieved high operation fidelity for Grover's algorithm on qudits (96.8(3)% for d=5, 69(6)% for d=8).
• Demonstrated competitive performance compared to qubit systems, requiring only O(d) single-qudit gates and no entangling gates.

Conclusions:

• Qudits show significant potential for efficient quantum algorithm implementation.
• This work highlights a promising direction for advancing quantum computing hardware and performance.