K. -F. Cui

Nonadiabatic holonomic quantum computation (NHQC) offers intrinsic resilience to certain control imperfections. However, conventional nonadiabatic holonomic protocols are constrained by the fixed-pulse-area condition, which limits flexibility and prolongs duration of small-angle gates. Here we experimentally demonstrate a universal brachistochrone nonadiabatic holonomic quantum gate scheme in a trapped 40Ca+ ion, and realized the construction of pX gate under the conventional NHQC, brachistochrone NHQC (BNHQC) and composite BNHQC (CBNHQC) protocols. By characterizing the performance of gate performance in the presence of dissipation, Rabi-frequency errors and detuning errors, we show that BNHQC and CBNHQC outperform conventional NHQC, and BNHQC can offer a favorable balance between operation speed and robustness. It further shows that keeping high fidelity and strong robustness need decrease the accumulated population of excited state in the evolution process. These results highlight nonadiabatic holonomic computation as a practical route toward fast and robust quantum gates in trapped-ion platforms.

Time crystals constitute a novel phase of matter defined by the spontaneous breaking of timetranslation symmetry. Here we present a scheme to realize a continuous-time crystal of the vibrational phonon in the normal mode of two coupled ultra-cold ions. By utilizing two addressable standing-wave lasers and adiabatic elimination method, we generate a controllable nonlinear phonon mode with the well-designed efficient linear gain and nonlinear damping. By controlling these parameters to satisfy the phase transition conditions of Hopf bifurcation and limit cycle phase, it behaves as a stable dissipative dynamics over timescales significantly longer than the oscillation period, indicating the emergence of discrete time-translation symmetry breaking in the phonon mode, i.e., a phonon time crystal. We further numerically simulate this phonon time crystal by using accessible experimental parameters and also demonstrate a robustness to the initial thermal state and thermalization of phonon mode, spin dephasing, and the control errors of Rabi frequencies. These results provide a practical scheme for observing a time crystal in a nonlinear phonon mode and will advance the research of time crystals.