High-fidelity rf/microwave-based universal control of trapped ion qubits

Universal control of multiple qubits-the ability to entangle qubits and to perform arbitrary individual qubit operations-is a fundamental resource for quantum computation, simulation, and networking. We implement a new scheme for universal control of trapped ion qubits based on microwave magnetic fields and rf magnetic field gradients instead of laser beams, and create entangled states whose fidelity is statistically indistinguishable from the highest-fidelity laser-beam-generated entangled states reported to date. We describe the rf and microwave electronics used, and discuss avenues for using this scheme in a large-scale trapped ion quantum processor.