From atoms to qubits: a method from atomic physics to suppress errors in quantum computers

Excellent sequential phase structure (in silico → minimal → full) with clear GO/NO-GO/PIVOT criteria, enabling objective decision-making and risk management from the simulation stage, before any costly experimental commitment.

The hypothesis correctly identifies a promising and under-explored direction: the systematic application of atomic-physics control formalisms (selection rules, dark states, CPT) to superconducting qudits for intrinsic error suppression. This moves beyond ad-hoc optimal control towards a more principled, physics-based design methodology.

The idea of borrowing atomic control formalisms for superconducting qudits is conceptually novel and could offer an alternative to standard optimal control approaches.

A captive but urgent race: manufacturers of superconducting processors (Google Quantum AI, IBM Quantum, Rigetti) spend >$50M/year on R&D to reduce leakage errors on transmon qubits, a bottleneck for improving 2-qubit gate fidelity. The hypothesis promises a factor of 10 in leakage suppression, which could save 30-50% of the pulse calibration cost for 4-level gates (qudits).

High conceptual originality: a systematic transfer of formalisms from atomic physics (selection rules, dark subspaces) to superconducting qudits — an underexplored yet theoretically promising approach to addressing the critical leakage problem in quantum processors.