MIT Quanta Group

The Quanta Research Group is fascinated by the intersection of quantum computing theory and application, and we're always trying to find out what's next. Under the guidance of Professor Isaac Chuang on the theory side, with experimental efforts led by Professor Chuang and Dr. John Chiaverini, we work to improve trapped-ion quantum computers, applying theory from quantum signal processing to error correction to machine learning. We also look for ways to combine atomic physics and engineering to push the abilities of quantum information processors.

We're a team of experimentalists, engineers, and theorists differentiated by our broad interests but connected by a common thread of curiosity and creativity. 

On the experimental side, the group has recently built two cryogenic vacuum systems for performing trapped-ion experiments with metastable qubits, which offer a flexible platform for achieving high-fidelity quantum gates. We're also exploring the collection of photons from individual ions using on-chip optics with a goal of exploring the benefits of producing photon-mediated entanglement this way, and we are considering methods to utilize the quantum oscillator modes of trapped ions in order to enable novel quantum sensing and computing protocols. These projects take advantage of our strong collaboration with the trapped ion team at MIT's Lincoln Laboratory, enabled via MIT's Center for Quantum Engineering. 

On the theory side, the group always have an ear to the ground for simplicity, whether in our development of novel instantiations for the algorithmic primitive of quantum signal processing, our explorations of continuous variable quantum computing, or fundamental work in quantum information. Theory is often motivated by the intuition and resource constraints of experiment; we continue to look toward applying the techniques or engineering, sensing, or adversarial models to theoretical results to motivate new and useful subfields in quantum information.