Rydberg Atom Approach

Rydberg atoms have already provided proof of principle that they meet all the requirements for general digital quantum computing. Today, they are the only physical platform that has demonstrated more than 200 qubits (the computational unit of a quantum computer) with strong interactions and a clear path to further scalability.

EuRyQa takes advantage of these properties of Rydberg atoms. The consortium will develop quantum processors based on ultracold atoms trapped in an array of optical tweezers. These processors can reach up to 1,000 qubits or even more, far exceeding the computing power of classical supercomputers.

The following diagram shows how the Rydberg technology for the quantum processor works. The typical setup consists of ultracold atoms trapped in an array of optical tweezers generated by a digital micromirror device (DMD) or spatial light modulator (SLM). The qubits can be manipulated by optical fields controlled by acousto-optical modulators (AOMs) and two-dimensional acousto-optical deflectors (AODs). The quantum register shows two types of atomic qubits (blue and orange spheres). Semi-transparent green spheres represent Rydberg-Rydberg interactions (blockade spheres). Red shaded areas show the addressing lasers for implementing single and multi-qubit operations.