Atoms in Cavities Quantum Entanglement and Quantum Computing

Circular Rydberg atom strongly coupled to superconducting millimeterwave cavities make it poasible to realize experiments on fundamental aspects of quantum mechanics. Resonant and dispersive atom-field interactions provide ways to realize quantum s t a b swapping and conditional quantum dynamics. They can be used to produce non local correlations and complex, tailored, entangled quantum states in many particle systems. Fundamental test of quantum mechaniw are now within the reach of cavity quantum electrodynamiw experimenta. Complex quantum states are ala0 at the heart of the recently proposed techniques for quantum information processing or quantum computing, a field boiling with excitement. Although cavity QED techniques allow the realization of some basic components, such a quantum logic gata, they also provide experimental insighta into the dewherenee processes, which doom any attempt to realize a large scale quantum information processing ma&. In the light of recant experiments performed in our laboratory, we &CUBS realistic perspectives and impossibilities in this field. Abstract