University of Bonn physicists have set up a quantum register experimentally, an important step towards processing quantum information with neutral atoms.

The physicists loaded five decelerated cesium atoms onto a laser beam. With the aid of an additional laser, they then initialized the quantum register, i.e. they “wrote” zeros on all the qubits. They then were able to store the quantum information desired in each qubit by using microwave radiation.

In their next step, the physicists will now attempt to set up a quantum gate.

University of Bonn news release