Quantum characterization and control of single molecules

ongoing

Reaching a fundamental understanding of complex quantum systems and fully harnessing their computational power for information processing is one of today’s greatest scientific challenges. The quest to build a quantum information processor has triggered unprecedented efforts to control and characterize dynamics in quantum systems. Here, trapped ion systems are one of the most promising architectures to realize large-scale quantum information processors. In this project I aim to explore the physics and harness the computational potential of a novel trapped ion system with more complex individual constituents: polyatomic molecules. The proposed research tackles the long standing challenge of preparing, controlling and characterizing single polyatomic molecules at the quantum level. The path towards these ambitious goals is centered around two high-level objectives: First, I will develop novel techniques to characterize quantum dynamics of polyatomic systems. In particular, I will quantify quantum coherence in ultrafast intra-molecular processes. This research will open a new window into intra-molecular processes with applications in quantum chemistry as well as biology. Second, I will develop and implement quantum control techniques for polyatomic molecules by coupling them to an atomic quantum information processor. Here, I will demonstrate the building blocks for a new scalable hybrid atom-molecule quantum information processor with ultrafast gate operations. I am convinced that these new control techniques will lay the groundwork for research beyond the immediate project goals such as state-selective chemistry, precision measurements of fundamental constants, as well as scalable and ultrafast quantum computing. My strong interdisciplinary background in experiment design and characterization of quantum systems, and my track record in experimental quantum computation, put me in a unique position to reach the ambitious goals.