Quantum simulations of non-equilibrium dynamics with ion spin chains

Quantum simulations of non-equilibrium dynamics with ion spin chains
I will describe efforts on engineering quantum systems with individual trapped atomic ions. Qubits are represented by the internal levels of the ions, and are controlled with laser-driven interactions. Such a system present an excellent coherence time and can find wide applications in quantum simulations and quantum computing. I will present recent experiments using these systems to study non-equilibrium matter, including discrete time-crystals [1], as well as dynamical phases [2]. A spin chain with individual resolution for more than 50 qubits enables many applications such as quantum sampling and optimization, and I will conclude with prospects in the future.