The Consortium

Aiming to realize a Rydberg atom quantum computer, our consortium brings together pioneering expertise in experimental and theoretical physics with word-leading industry partners.

The Rydberg atom quantum computer will be realized at the 5th Institute of Physics (University of Stuttgart) led by Prof. Tilman Pfau. For more than 15 years, we have been working with Rydberg atoms, first focusing on pioneering studies of collective many-body phenomena in Rydberg quantum gases, and later on topics ranging from ultralong-range Rydberg molecules, to Rydberg quantum optics in cold and hot vapors. Now, these pioneering studies form the basis to construct a quantum computer with individually controlled and laser trapped Rydberg atoms.

The implementation of Rydberg quantum gates is analyzed at the Institute for Theoretical Physics III (University of Stuttgart) led by Prof. Hans Peter Büchler. The institute has a long standing expericence in the theoretical description of quantum phenomena in systems of Rydberg atoms, including Rydberg slow-light polaritions, Rydberg superatoms, many-body physics, and the accurate modelling of Rydberg interactions. Our research allows for the development of protocols for high-fidelity quantum gates with Rydberg atoms.

The Institute for complex quantum systems at Ulm University will provide control and benchmarking software to optimally engineer the quantum gates and the Rydberg atom transport. The research lead by Prof. Simone Montangero will leverage on two decades of research on quantum optimal control for quantum technologies and tensor network methods that will allow developing accurate models of the systems and optimal protocols and algorithms also for quantum many-body system manipulations. The research will be developed in strong collaboration with the quantum theory group at the Department of Physics and Astronomy of Padua University.

TOPTICA Photonics AG is a privately held laser manufacturing company located in Munich-Graefelfing, Germany. More than 300 people develop, produce and provide research grade lasers for scientific applications as well as industry grade lasers for OEM integration. Key technologies comprise tunable single frequency diode lasers, pulsed fiber lasers, frequency combs, multi-color laser engines, THz systems and high power laser diodes & semiconductor optical amplifiers. Emerging from the quantum optics scientific environment more than 20 years ago and with a permanent staff of about 40 physicists with quantum technology background, TOPTICA has become the key manufacturer of high-end laser systems, the main supplier of quantum technology subsystems and a valuable partner in collaborative quantum technology research projects.

In the QRydDemo project, TOPTICA will perform research on fundamental laser technology for high-fidelity gate operations as well as long qubit coherence times and will provide lasers systems for the realization and optimization of the QRydDemo quantum processor demonstrator.