Efficient implementation of a quantum algorithm with a trapped ion qudit.

Shi, Xiaoyang; Sinanan-Singh, Jasmine; Burke, Timothy J; Chiaverini, John; Chuang, Isaac L · Nat Commun · 2026

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Demonstration of quantum advantage remains challenging due to the increased overhead of controlling large quantum systems. While significant effort has been devoted to qubit-based devices, qudits (d-level systems) offer potential advantages in both hardware efficiency and algorithmic performance. In this paper, we demonstrate multi-tone control of a single trapped ion qudit of up to eight levels, as well as the implementation of Grover's search algorithm on a qudit with dimensions five and eight, achieving operation fidelity of 96.8(3)% and 69(6)%, respectively, which correspond to 99.9(1)% and 97.1(3) % squared statistical overlap, respectively, with the expected result for a single iteration of the Grover search algorithm. The performance is competitive when compared to qubit-based systems; moreover, the sequence requires only <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mi>O</mi> <mrow><mo>(</mo> <mrow><mi>d</mi></mrow> <mo>)</mo></mrow> </math> single-qudit gates and no entangling gates. This work highlights the potential of using qudits for efficient implementations of quantum algorithms.