UB physicist receives over $1 million in federal grants for neutral-atom quantum computing research

BUFFALO, N.Y. — A University at Buffalo physicist has received two U.S. Department of Defense grants totaling $1.1 million to study the quantum dynamics that could help advance neutral-atom quantum computing.

Principal investigator Jamir Marino, PhD, assistant professor of physics, uses advanced theoretical models to simulate the behavior of quantum particles. The quantum states of these particles are used to represent information in quantum computers, just as electrical signals created by transistors switching on and off represent information in classical computers.

In neutral-atom quantum computers, individual, highly excited Rydberg atoms serve as the basic units of quantum information, or qubits. This field has advanced rapidly over the past five years, growing from laboratory prototypes to processors with more than 1,200 programmable qubits and systems capable of controlling more than 6,000 individual atoms. Researchers have also demonstrated major improvements in accuracy and early forms of quantum error correction, strengthening the case for neutral-atom quantum computing as one of the leading candidates for large-scale quantum computing.

Marino’s theoretical work could help pave the way for larger, more powerful neutral-atom quantum computers.

“We need elegant theories to predict and explain these particles’ behavior in the next generation of fault-tolerant quantum computers,” Marino says.

Marino and his team will use the computing resources at Empire AI to accelerate large-scale simulations of Rydberg-atom systems and test their theoretical models.

Empire AI is a more than $500 million statewide research consortium dedicated to advancing AI for the public good. UB is home to Empire AI's supercomputing center, one of the nation's most powerful academic AI computing facilities.

One of the grants is a three-year, $555,000 grant from the U.S. Army Research Laboratory. It will support Marino's work using quantum light to connect and network multiple arrays of neutral atoms, an approach that could dramatically increase the size and power of future neutral-atom quantum computers.

To do this, Marino’s team simulates what happens when a Rydberg array is placed inside an optical cavity, a pair of mirrors that trap light and force its photons to interact with the Rydberg atoms. 

In this new project, Marino’s team will investigate whether the kinetic constraints intrinsic to Rydberg arrays can strengthen the Rydberg-cavity architecture. Strong interactions between Rydberg atoms impose rules that can help preserve fragile quantum behavior for longer periods, allowing more time to create and control complex quantum states.

“These constraints may not be a hindrance but rather a great control mechanism to engineer new ways of creating entangled quantum states within the architecture," Marino says. 

The other award — a three-year, $580,000 grant from the U.S. Navy — focuses on the many-body quantum properties that could unlock neutral-atom quantum computing’s full potential.

Many-body quantum physics examines how large collections of quantum particles behave collectively rather than individually. While particles can become linked through a phenomenon known as entanglement, not every form of entanglement is equally useful for quantum computing.

Marino seeks to develop new theoretical methods for creating and controlling the kinds of entangled quantum states that are most useful for computation using arrays of Rydberg atoms operating far from equilibrium — conditions in which the particles have not settled into a stable state. Such advances could one day improve applications ranging from logistics optimization to secure communications.

One of the project's goals is to develop a new way of classifying quantum states based on how they are entangled and how much computational advantage they can provide.

“Much as scientists classify familiar phases of matter — such as solids, liquids and magnets — by the arrangement of their particles, we hope to classify exotic quantum phases by the structure of their entanglement and their potential to power future quantum technologies,” Marino says.