Ilya Semerikov

Russian Researchers Achieve First Qubit Operations on Planar Ion Traps

Scientists from Rosatom’s Quantum project have for the first time in Russia performed qubit operations using planar ion traps. The technology replaces traditional three-dimensional electromagnetic traps with flat electrode chips that can hold more than 100 ions while integrating optical readout components. Two independent teams demonstrated the approach: one at the Physical Institute of RAS led by Ilya Semerikov using ytterbium-171 ions, and another at the Quantum Center under Kirill Lakhmansky using calcium ions. Both groups successfully captured, moved, and performed single-qubit gates on the trapped ions. Rosatom views the planar architecture as a key step toward scalable industrial ion-trap quantum computers capable of solving practical problems. The teams now aim to advance from individual operations to high-fidelity, multi-zone systems with over 100 controllable qubits by 2030.