Progress Towards Trapped-Ion Quantum Information Processing at McMaster University.

We are constructing a trapped-ion quantum information processor to explore quantum computing technology and applications and general quantum state engineering. In particular, we will trap $^{24}$Mg$^{+}$ and $^{25}$Mg$^{+}$ ions in a linear RF (Paul) trap geometry. We will use the ground-state hyperfine levels of the $^{25}$Mg$^{+}$ ions as internal-state qubits and the ions' shared motional degree of freedom as a ``quantum data bus.'' We discuss progress in constructing the apparatus, including an all-solid-state source of 280-nm UV laser light.