In this episode of the Georgia Tech Research Podcast, host Chelsea Selby talks to Creston Herold, Ph.D, a Senior Research Scientist in Georgia Tech Research Institute’s (GTRI) CIPHER Lab. This episode takes listeners on a tour of the mysterious world of quantum mechanics, quantum computing, and, specifically, the use of trapped ions and the property of entanglement. It discusses what these concepts are, why they are important at Georgia Tech and GTRI, and what implications they have on the future of computing.

Talking Points
In this episode, listeners will hear about:
• The difference between a classic computer and a quantum computer.
• How an ion is created and the benefit of trapping it.
• The difference between a classic bit and a qubit.
• How a qubit becomes entangled and the concept of super-position.
• The logical computing gates and how quantum computing implements them.
• What application areas of focus are the “sweet spot” for quantum computing.
• Fault tolerance in quantum computing and how GTRI is contributing to this area.
• The top three technical thrusts that GTRI is working on for the Department of Defense.
• Speculation on where GTRI CIPHER’s efforts in quantum computing will be in five years.