Industrially useful quantum computers will require substantially more quantum bits (qubits) and similar or better fidelities for qubit operations, compared to present state-of-the-art systems. So far, some of the best fidelities have been realized in quantum computers whose qubits are trapped atomic ions [1–3]. In one such computer design, called the quantum charge-coupled device (QCCD) architecture, the ions are transported between dedicated zones where they interact and qubit operations occur [4]. Thanks to their high fidelities and flexible qubit connectivity, QCCD systems have achieved some of the best performances on quantum-computing benchmark tests to date [5]. Now Carmelo Mordini and colleagues at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich have presented potential building blocks for a future scalable quantum computer based on the QCCD architecture [6].
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