Ion trap quantum computers part 2 : the universal 2-qubit-CNOT gate

Abstract

The Cirac-Zoller mechanism is generally used for the implementation of CNOT gates in ion trap quantum computers. We present here a highly detailed quantum physical description of this approach. To keep the presentation simple, the qubits are modeled as rigid rotors and the radiation field of each of the lasers is treated as a classical field. In combination with the corresponding first part (Ion Trap Quantum Computer Part 1: 1-Qubit Gates), this results in the complete quantum theory of a universal set of quantum gates. This presentation is intended for readers with basic knowledge of quantum physics and assumes familiarity with Part 1.