It's a Trap! Atom Corral Is a Major Step Toward Quantum Computing | Popular Science

It's a Trap! Atom Corral Is a Major Step Toward Quantum Computing | Popular Science: "One of the first steps in building a functional quantum computer is trapping the ions in order to zap them. That’s why physicists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology have created this ion trap, a web of electrodes that produces an electric field to hold the ions in place. Once in place, the ions hover just above the trap’s surface. "