This project is a combined experimental and theoretical research effort to manufacture and investigate a system of interacting quantum bits (qubits) based on electrons on a helium film which covers an array of micro electrodes, and to develop methods for controlling this system. In particular, the team is studying the lifetimes and coherence times of the excited state in configurations suitable for qubit operation, including effects of electron-electron interaction, in-plane confinement, and a magnetic field. Problems of broad physical interest, such as quantum localization and chaos in a controlled system with interacting excitations is also being investigated. The project is focused on 1) trapping the electrons over micro dots, 2) controlling the energy-level spacing of targeted electrons by the microdot potential, 3) selective writing of information on individual qubits by appropriately tailored pulses of resonant microwave radiation and microdot potential 4) logical operations on a system of two qubits and 5) reading out the quantum register by detecting single electrons released from the surface or determining the electron distribution over energy levels with underlying micro dots, with a hope of building a system with a large number of qubits to be used as a multi-qubit quantum computer. If successful, such a computer can be manufactured using mainly conventional technologies and can operate at a temperature accessible with commercial refrigerators.
