Quantum Computation in a Hybrid Array of Molecules and Rydberg Atoms

Abstract

We show that an array of polar molecules interacting with Rydberg atoms is a promising hybrid system for scalable quantum computation. Quantum information is stored in long-lived hyperfine or rotational states of molecules, which interact indirectly through resonant dipole-dipole interactions with Rydberg atoms. A two-qubit gate based on this interaction has a duration of 1μs and an achievable fidelity of 99.9%. The gate has little sensitivity to the motional states of the particles—the molecules can be in thermal states, the atoms do not need to be trapped during Rydberg excitation, the gate does not heat the molecules, and heating of the atoms has a negligible effect. Within a large, static array, the gate can be applied to arbitrary pairs of molecules separated by tens of micrometres, making the scheme highly scalable. The molecule-atom interaction can also be used for rapid qubit initialization and efficient, nondestructive qubit readout, without driving any molecular transitions. Single-qubit gates are driven using microwave pulses alone, exploiting the strong electric dipole transitions between rotational states. Thus, all operations required for large-scale quantum computation can be done without moving the molecules or exciting them out of their ground electronic states.