Quantum Computing Recharged With Electromagnetic Ion Trap Innovation

Researchers at ETH have managed to trap ions using static electric and magnetic fields and to perform quantum operations on them. In the future, such traps could be used to realize quantum computers with far more quantum bits than have been possible up to now.

Using an oscillating electromagnetic field in ion traps limits the currently achievable number of qubits in quantum computers.
Researchers at ETH have now created an ion trap on a microfabricated chip using only static fields – an electric field and a magnetic field – in which quantum operations can be performed.
In this trap, the ions can be transported in arbitrary directions, and several such traps fit onto a single chip.