Towards a quantum processor with non-local interactions and programmable connectivity

Quantum computers and simulators are especially promising for tackling problems that require a high degree of entanglement. However, the efficient and deterministic generation of many-body entanglement still poses a challenge.

We report on progress towards building a quantum processor based on an array of single atoms trapped in optical tweezers and strongly coupled to a high-finesse fiber cavity. The cavity enables non-local interactions, mediated by the joint coupling of the atoms to the cavity mode. Microscopic addressing via the optical tweezers allows for tuning this coupling for each atom, enabling programmable connectivity. This, combined with other established techniques in cavity quantum information processing, provides us with an extensive experimental toolkit for generating many-body entanglement and a variety of quantum computation and simulation experiments.