IP Library Granted Patent US 12,632,755
Granted Patent B2
US 12,632,755 · App. 17/739,014 · Granted May 19, 2026

System and method using multilayer optical lattice qubit arrays for quantum computing

Inventors: Peter Carl Hendrickson (Reston, VA); Jadon Daniel Erwin (Herndon, VA)
Assignee: KBR Wyle Services, LLC
G06N10/00G06N10/20G06N10/40
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,632,755
App. No.
17/739,014
Granted
May 19, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A quantum computing (QC) system includes a first plurality of logical qubits in a first substantially planar region and a second plurality of logical qubits in a second substantially planar region that is substantially parallel to the first substantially planar region. At least some of the first plurality of logical qubits are configured to interact with one another, and at least some of the second plurality of logical qubits are configured to interact with one another and to interact with the at least some of the first plurality of logical qubits. The QC system can include additional pluralities of logical qubits in additional substantially planar regions that are substantially parallel to the first and second substantially planar regions and at least some of the second plurality of logical qubits can be configured to interact with one or more of the additional pluralities of logical qubits.

Claims (35)

1 . A quantum computing (QC) system comprising:

a first plurality of logical qubits in a first substantially planar region;

a second plurality of logical qubits in a second substantially planar region that is substantially parallel to the first substantially planar region; and

a plurality of logical qubit gates each defined by three or more entangled logical qubits, the three or more entangled logical qubits comprising a combination of (a) at least one logical qubit of the first plurality of logical qubits and (b) at least one qubit of the second plurality of logical qubits.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the plurality of logical qubit gates form at least one three-dimensional (3-D) gate cell array such that the at least one 3-D gate cell array undergoes multiple-qubit gate operations in which more than two logical qubits participate simultaneously.

3 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a third plurality of logical qubits in a third substantially planar region substantially parallel to the second substantially planar region, wherein the plurality of logical qubit gates are defined by three or more entangled logical qubits from at least two of the first plurality of logical qubits, the second plurality of logical qubits, or the third plurality of logical qubits.

4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the logical qubits of the first, second, and third pluralities of logical qubits are individually addressable.

5 . The system of claim 3 , further comprising at least one additional plurality of logical qubits in at least one additional substantially planar region substantially parallel to the third substantially planar region, wherein the plurality of logical qubit gates are defined by three or more entangled logical qubits from at least two of the first plurality of logical qubits, the second plurality of logical qubits, the third plurality of logical qubits, and the at least one additional plurality of logical qubits.

6 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of optical beams defining a plurality of confinement regions comprising first confinement regions arranged in a substantially planar first optical lattice and second confinement regions arranged in a substantially planar second optical lattice substantially parallel to the first optical lattice, wherein the first plurality of logical qubits are in the first optical lattice and the second plurality of logical qubits are in the second optical lattice, and wherein the first confinement region corresponds to the first substantially planar region and the second confinement region corresponds to the second substantially planar region.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of confinement regions further comprises third confinement regions arranged in a substantially planar third optical lattice substantially parallel to the second optical lattice, wherein a third plurality of logical qubits are in the third optical lattice.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of confinement regions further comprises at least one additional confinement region arranged in at least one additional optical lattice substantially parallel to the third optical lattice, the at least one additional optical lattice comprising at least one additional plurality of logical qubits.

9 . The system of claim 7 , wherein groups of entangled logical qubits of the first, second, and third pluralities of logical qubits comprise a plurality of multiple-qubit 3-D gate cells, wherein each logical qubit of a multiple-qubit 3-D gate cell of the plurality of multiple-qubit 3-D gate cells quantum-mechanically entangles with at least one other logical qubit of the multiple-qubit 3-D gate cell.

10 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the confinement regions of each of the first optical lattice, the second optical lattice, and the third optical lattice are arranged in a two-dimensional pattern that is substantially symmetric square-shaped pattern, diamond-shaped pattern, or rhombus-shaped pattern.

11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least some of the first plurality of logical qubits are fully entangled with the at least some of the second plurality of logical qubits.

12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least some of the first plurality of logical qubits and/or the at least some of the second plurality of logical qubits are fully entangled with nearest neighboring logical qubits and next-nearest neighboring logical qubits of the first plurality of logical qubits and the second plurality of logical qubits.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the at least some of the first plurality of logical qubits and/or the at least some of the second plurality of logical qubits are fully entangled with next-next-nearest neighboring logical qubits of the first plurality of logical qubits and the second plurality of logical qubits.

14 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least some of the first plurality of logical qubits and/or the at least some of the second plurality of logical qubits comprise at least one physical qubit comprising one of: naturally occurring atoms; neutral atoms; charged atoms; ions; molecules; artificially formed atoms; Rydberg atoms; nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond; Bose-Einstein condensates; electrons; photons; quantum particles; quantum dots; phonons; or transmons.

15 . A quantum computing (QC) system comprising:

a plurality of confinement regions to contain logical qubits in a multilayer qubit lattice array comprising more than two dimensions; and

a plurality of quantum gates comprising three or more logical qubits in one or more of the more than two dimensions of the multilayer qubit lattice array, the quantum gates to perform quantum logic operations involving three or more logical qubits natively without reliance on concatenations of one-and two-qubit gates.

16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein at least some of the quantum logic operations utilize two or more control qubits acting on one or more target qubits natively.

17 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the quantum logic operations comprise one or more of: singly-controlled, multiple NOT gate; Fanout gate; multiply-controlled NOT gate; Toffoli gate; super Toffoli gate; or multiply-controlled phase gate.

18 . The system of claim 15 , further comprising electrical and optical elements configured to perform multi-qubit logic operations.

19 . The system of claim 15 , further comprising electrical traces, optical beam configurations, detectors, and stray light management elements configured to enable low noise addressing and read-out of individual qubits in the multilayer qubit lattice array.

20 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the multilayer qubit lattice array comprises multiple substantially parallel planar qubit lattice arrays.

21 . The system of claim 20 , wherein the multiple substantially parallel planar qubit lattice arrays comprise at least a first planar qubit lattice array and a second planar qubit lattice array, the qubits of the first planar qubit lattice array offset from the qubits of the second planar qubit lattice array along a direction substantially parallel to the first planar qubit lattice array.

22 . The system of claim 21 , further comprising at least one additional planar qubit lattice array comprising qubits aligned with the qubits of the first planar qubit lattice array, aligned with the qubits of the second array, or having an offset along a direction substantially parallel to the second planar qubit lattice array by a magnitude substantially equal to the offset between the first and second planar qubit lattice arrays.

23 . The system of claim 21 , wherein the offset between the first and second planar qubit lattice arrays enables a plurality of view angles from which each of the logical qubits is optically addressed individually and from which states of each of the logical qubits is detected individually so as to effect multiple-qubit gate operations natively.

24 . The system of claim 21 , wherein the offset between the first and second planar qubit lattice arrays enables simultaneous entanglement of more qubits at a given interaction distance and within a given volume than in square and cubic lattice configurations.

25 . A quantum computing (QC) system comprising:

a first containment zone to confine a first plurality of qubits in a first substantially planar region;

a second containment zone to confine a second plurality of qubits in a second substantially planar region that is substantially parallel to the first substantially planar region; and

a plurality of optical elements to define reconfigurable multi-qubit gates via entanglement of three or more qubits, the three or more qubits comprising a combination of (a) at least one qubit of the first plurality of qubits and (b) at least one qubit of the second plurality of qubits.

26 . The system of claim 25 , wherein the first plurality of qubits and the second plurality of qubits are positioned in the first containment zone and the second containment zone, respectively, to provide a line of sight to each one of the first plurality of qubits and the second plurality of qubits by corresponding ones of the plurality of optical elements, and wherein the line of sight and the plurality of optical elements enable individually addressable logical qubits.

27 . The system of claim 25 , wherein a first intraplanar distance between qubits of the first plurality of qubits and a second intraplanar distance between qubits of the second plurality of qubits comprise less than about 15 microns, and wherein an interplanar distance between qubits of the first plurality of qubits and the second plurality of qubits comprises less than about 15 microns.

Assignments (6)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 6, 2024
From: KELLOGG BROWN & ROOT LLC
To: KBR WYLE SERVICES, LLC
Reel/Frame 069156/0662 →
MERGER Recorded Jul 12, 2023
From: CENTAURI, LLC
To: KBR WYLE SERVICES, LLC
Reel/Frame 064228/0437 →
MERGER Recorded Sep 15, 2022
From: CENTAURI, LLC
To: KBR WYLE SERVICES, LLC
Reel/Frame 061110/0951 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 21, 2022
From: HENDRICKSON, PETER CARL
To: CENTAURI, LLC
Reel/Frame 060806/0281 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 12, 2022
From: ERWIN, JADON DANIEL
To: CENTAURI, LLC
Reel/Frame 060489/0240 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 6, 2022
From: HENDERICKSON, PETER CARL
To: CENTAURI, LLC
Reel/Frame 060827/0064 →
Continuity (5)
Continuation In Part 17090747 · Nov 5, 2020
Provisional Application 63186037 · May 7, 2021
Provisional Application 62933148 · Nov 8, 2019
Related Publication 20230015801A1 · Jan 19, 2023
Related Publication 20240020559A9 · Jan 18, 2024
References Cited (71)
US 5793091A · Devoe · 1998 [cited by examiner]
US 6437413B1 · Yamaguchi · 2002 [cited by examiner]
US 7277872B2 · Raussendorf et al. · 2007 [cited by applicant]
US 9858531B1 · Monroe et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 10192168B2 · Rigetti et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10248491B1 · Zeng et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 11157826B2 · Figgatt et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 11354589B2 · Kim et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 20060179029A1 · Vala et al. · 2006 [cited by applicant]
US 20120319684A1 · Gambetta · 2012 [cited by examiner]
US 20160125311A1 · Fuechsle · 2016 [cited by examiner]
US 20160335560A1 · Mohseni et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20170337155A1 · Novotny · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20180114138A1 · Monroe et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180175241A1 · Jain · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20190229189A1 · Clarke et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20210027188A1 · Nickerson et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20210142204A1 · Hendrickson et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20220366287A1 · Hendrickson et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
CA 3157734 · 2021 [cited by applicant]
CN 114938669A1 · 2022 [cited by applicant]
EP 4055532 · 2022 [cited by applicant]
GB 2606876 · 2022 [cited by applicant]
HK 40080078A · 2023 [cited by applicant]
JP 2002112391A · 2002 [cited by applicant]
JP 2019531592 · 2019 [cited by applicant]
JP 2023500405 · 2023 [cited by applicant]
WO 2017214331 · 2017 [cited by applicant]
WO 2019178009 · 2019 [cited by applicant]
WO 2020033692 · 2020 [cited by applicant]
WO 2021092233A1 · 2021 [cited by applicant]
WO 2022250933A2 · 2022 [cited by applicant]
J.I. Cirac & P. Zoller, Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of Innsbruck, Austria “A Scalable Quantum Computer with Ions in an Array of Microtraps,” Nature, vol. 404, p. 579-58, (2000) www.nature.com. [cited by applicant]
J. Chiaverini et al., Rinton Press, Surface-Electrode Architecture for Ion-Trap Quantum Information Processing, Quantum Information and Computation, vol. 5, No. 6 (2005) pp. 419-439. [cited by applicant]
N.M. Linke et al., Joint Quantum Institute, Department of Physics, University of Maryland “Experimental Comparison of Two Quantum Computing Architectures,” PNAS, vol. 114, No. 13 (2017) pp. 3305-3310. [cited by applicant]
C. Figgatt et al., Nature, “Parallel Entangling Operations on a Universal Ion-Trap Quantum Computer,” vol. 571 (2019) {https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-019-1427-5}. [cited by applicant]
Y. Lu et al., Nature, “Global Entangling Gates on Arbitrary Qubits,” vol. 571 (2019) {https://www.nature.com/ articles/s41586-019-1428-4}. [cited by applicant]
R. Samajdar, PNAS, “Quantum Phases of Rydberg Atoms on a Kagome Lattice,” Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 118, e2015785118 (2021) {https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2015785118}. [cited by applicant]
J.I. Cirac and P. Zoller, the American Physical Society “Quantum Computations with Cold Trapped Ions,” Physical Review Letter, vol. 74, No. 20, (1995) pp. 4091-4094. [cited by applicant]
T. Monz et al., Physical Review Letters, “Realization of the Quantum Toffoli Gate with Trapped Ions,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 102, 040501 (2009) {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19257408/}. [cited by applicant]
S. Debnath et al., Nature, “Demonstration of a Small Programmable Quantum Computer with Atomic Qubits,” vol. 536, pp. 63-66 (2016) {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27488798/}. [cited by applicant]
A. Kitaev, Annals of Physics, “Anyons in an Exactly Solved Model and Beyond,” Phys. bol. 321, Issue 1, (2006), pp. 2-111 {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0003491605002381}. [cited by applicant]
R. Schmied et al., IOP Institute of Physics Quantum Simulation of the Hexagonal Kitaev Model with Trapped Ions, New Journal of Physics 13 115011 (2011) (“Schmied 2011”) 23 pp. [cited by applicant]
R. Schmied, et al., Physical Review Letters, “Optimal Surface-Electrode Trap Lattices for Quantum Simulation with Trapped Ions”, Phys Rev. 102, 233002 (2009) (“Schmied 2009”) 4 pages. [cited by applicant]
D.J. Wineland et al., Journal of Research of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, “Experimental Issues in Coherent Quantum-State Manipulation of Trapped Atomic Ions”, J. Res. Natl. Inst. Stand. Technol. v… [cited by applicant]
C.W. Hogle et al., Sandia National Laboratories “Characterization of Microfabricated Surface Ion Traps,” SAND2017 6113C (2017). [cited by applicant]
C.E. Pearson et al., Physical Review A “Experimental Investigation of Planar Ion Traps,” Phys. Rev. A 73, 032307 (2006) {https://journals.aps.org/pra/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevA.73.032307}. [cited by applicant]
M. Mielenz et al., Nature Communications, “Arrays of Individually Controlled Ions Suitable for Two-Dimensional Quantum Simulations,” 711839 (2016) pp. 1-9. [cited by applicant]
C. Ospelkaus et al., Physical Review Letters, “Trapped-Ion Quantum Logic Gates Based on Oscillating Magnetic Fields,” Phys Rev. Lett. 101, 090502 (2008) {https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.101.090… [cited by applicant]
T.P. Harty et al., Physical Review Letters, “High-Fidelity Preparation, Gates, Memory, and Readout of a Trapped-Ion Quantum Bit,” Phys Rev. Lett. 113, 220501 (2014) {https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRev… [cited by applicant]
T. Roy, et al., Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, “A Programmable Three-Qubit Superconducting Processor with All-To-All Connectivity,” Department of Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science (2018) pp. 1-11. [cited by applicant]
M. Storcz, Physics Department, Arnold Sommerfeld Center for Theoretical Physics, and Center for Nanoscience, “Intrinsic Phonon Decoherence and Quantum Gates in Coupled Lateral Quantum-Dot Charge Qubits,” Physical Review… [cited by applicant]
D. Stick et al., Nature Physics, “Ion Trap in a Semiconductor Ship” Nature Phys 2, 36-39 (2006) {https://www.nature.com/articles/nphys171}. [cited by applicant]
P. Maunz, Sandia National Laboratories, “Characterization of a High-Optical-Access Surface Trap Optimized for Quantum Information Processing,” SAND2015-1045C (2015). [cited by applicant]
S.E. Anderson, et al., Physical Review Letters, “Trapping Rydberg Atoms in an Optical Lattice,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 107, 263001 (2011) {https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.107.263001}. [cited by applicant]
I. Bloch, Nature, “Quantum Coherence and Entanglement with Ultracold Atoms in Optical Lattices,” Nature 453, 1016-1022 (2008) {https://www.nature.com/articles/nature07126}. [cited by applicant]
C. E. Bradley et al., Physical Review X, “A 10-Qubit Solid-State Spin Register with Quantum Memory Up to One Minute,” Phys. Rev. X 9, 031045 (2019) {https://journals.aps.org/prx/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevX.9.031045}. [cited by applicant]
M. Saffman et al., Reviews of Modern Physics, “Quantum Information with Rydberg Atoms,” Rev. Mod. Phys. 82, 2313 (2010) {https://journals.aps.org/rmp/abstract/10.1103/RevModPhys.82.2313}. [cited by applicant]
K. Maller et al., Physical Review A, “Rydberg-Blockade Controlled-NOT Gate and Entanglement in a Two-Dimensional Array of Neutral-Atom Qubits,” Phys. Rev. A 92, 022336 (2015) {https://journals.aps.org/pra/abstract/10.11… [cited by applicant]
D. Petrosyan et al., Physical Review A, “High-Fidelity Rydberg Quantum Gate Via a Two-Atom Dark State,” Phys. Rev. A 96, 042306 (2017) {https://journals.aps.org/pra/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevA.96.042306}. [cited by applicant]
M. Khazali and K. Molmer, Physical Review X, “Fast Multiqubit Gates by Adiabatic Evolution in Interacting Excited-State Manifolds of Rydberg Atoms and Superconducting Circuits,” Phys. Rev. X 10, 021054 (2020) {https://j… [cited by applicant]
I. Bloch, Nature Physics, “Ultracold Quantum Gases in Optical Lattices,” 1, 23-30 (2005) {https://www.nature.com/articles/nphys138}. [cited by applicant]
T.M. Graham et al., Physical Review Letters, “Rydberg-Mediated ENtanglement ina Two-Dimensional Neutral Atom Qubit Array,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 123, 230501 (2019) {https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.1… [cited by applicant]
A Bautista-Salvador et al., “Multilayer ion Trap Technology for Scalable Quantum Computing and Quantum Simulation”, 2019 New Journal of Physics, 21 043011 (Year: 2019). [cited by applicant]
Jones C. et al., Logical Qubit in a Linear Array of Semiconductor Quantum Dots, Physical review X, Jun. 1, 2018, vol. 8, Issue 2, pp. 021058-1 to 021058-31. [retrieved Oct. 13, 2023]. Retrieved from [URL: https;//journa… [cited by applicant]
Ravi et al., A Three Dimensional Lattice of Ion Traps, arxiv.org, Cornell University Library, 201 Olin Library Cornell University Ithaca, NY 14853, Jul. 27, 2009. [cited by applicant]
Goel et al., Native multiqubit Toffoli gates on ion trap quantum computers, arxiv.org, Cornell University Library, 201 Olin Library Cornell University Ithaca, NY 14853, Feb. 28, 2021. [cited by applicant]
EP Search Report for EP Application No. 22940924.8, Sep. 18, 2025. [cited by applicant]
Lekitsch Bjoern et al: “Blueprint for a microwave trapped ion quantum computer”, Science Advances, vol. 3, No. 2, Feb. 3, 2017 (Feb. 3, 2017), XP093310823. [cited by applicant]
Schulz Stephan A: “Scalable Microchip Ion Traps for Quantum Computation 2009”, Sep. 13, 2010 (Sep. 13, 2010), XP093311025. [cited by applicant]
Kumph Met al: “Operation of a planar-electrode ion-trap array with adjustable RF electrodes”, New Journal of Physics, vol. 18, No. 2, Jul. 16, 2015 (Jul. 16, 2015, p. 023047, XP093311032. [cited by applicant]