Quantum computation with Majorana zero modes in superconducting circuits

Heck, B. van

Heck, B. van (2015)

Quantum computation with Majorana zero modes in superconducting circuits

Doctoral Thesis

The research contained in this thesis lies at the interface between quantum phyiscs, nanotechnology and the theory of computation. Its goal is to design electronic circuits to realize computations that follow the laws of quantum mechanics, and which would allow to execute some algorithms faster than their classical counterparts - for instance, algorithms to solve chemical problems. In particular, these circuits use Majorana modes, very special states which appear in superconductors and are theoretically predicted to protect information from the environment, so that the computation can be executed without errors. The role of my research was to design electronic circuits able to use this fascinating property. Hence, this work is a bridge between some very abstract mathematical ideas and the very concrete world of electronic circuits, made out of inductors and capacitors.