My flagship: building an optical quantum computer
A small, low-cost neutral-atom quantum computer, built from scratch and designed to cost far less than traditional computers so every school can buy one.
The idea
Optical quantum computers encode qubits in the polarization of photons, which tend to not decay and are very easy to change with simple polarization filters and/or half-wave plates. However, photons tend not to interact with each other, which turns away most professionals. I think they need to consider them in a fairer sense, and apply some engineering logic to that physics mindset.
However, you have to deal with classical elements of lasers. Overcoming that has been the biggest challenge - to take something inherently classical and convert it into something quantum.
What I've built
- I've independently designed atomic traps for rubidium and cesium.
- I've helped build functional optical tweezers that have completed experimental testing phases and are waiting to be used in the TJ labs.
- And, most importantly, I've designed my own version of an optical quantum computer, tuned to stay financially practical for high schools and small universities, yet large enough to process real projects and code that would otherwise take hours on classical computers.
Foundations
I studied Electrodynamics & Quantum Physics under Mr. Mark Hannum, alongside a university-level math and physics load, AP Physics C (Mechanics and E&M), Multivariable Calculus, and Advanced Mathematical Techniques.
For the fun of it, I sat the Quantum Mechanics Conceptual Assessment (QMCA), usually given to upper-level undergraduates and early PhD students, just to see where I stood, and I came out nearly 7% above their average.
This fall
I've received approval to begin constructing a quantum computer in the TJHSST labs this coming fall, the next step in turning these benchtop pieces into a working machine.
Tools
Quantum simulation in PennyLane, Qiskit, and Nighthawk; CAD in Fusion 360 and Inventor; and tight-tolerance parts produced on CNC machines and both high- and low-end 3-D printers.