Kim, Junki
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Junki Kim is an Associate Professor in the Department of Quantum Information Engineering and the SKKU Advanced Institute of Nano Technology (SAINT) at Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU). Before joining SKKU, he worked as a Research Scientist at Duke University, where he contributed to the design and construction of a full-stack trapped-ion quantum computing system as part of the NSF STAQ project. He received his Ph.D. in Physics from Seoul National University, conducting research on single-atom superradiance. His current research focuses on engineering trapped-ion quantum technologies toward realizing practical quantum advantage.
Topological States Beyond Translational Symmetry in a Trapped-Ion Quantum Simulator
Speaker: Junki, Kim (Sungkyunkwan University, Korea) Event: Quantum Technology Workshop 2026
Quantum simulators provide a rich experimental platform for exploring exotic quantum phenomena with a high degree of tunability. Beyond reproducing the physics of conventional materials, they enable the realization of synthetic Hamiltonians with symmetries different from those of naturally occurring systems, enriching the study of unconventional topological phenomena. In this talk, I will present our experimental study of topological behavior in the anisotropic quantum Rabi model (AQRM) using a trapped-ion quantum simulator. We prepare and characterize both boundary and bulk states and investigate their distinct topological properties. Unlike conventional lattice systems, the AQRM lacks translational symmetry, and its bulk states can exhibit localization similar to that of the boundary state. Nevertheless, topological observables, including chirality and spin–boson correlations, clearly distinguish the boundary state from the bulk states. We further reconstruct the phase-space distribution of the bosonic component of the boundary state, revealing pronounced nonclassical squeezing. These results demonstrate how highly controllable quantum simulators can provide access to topological phenomena beyond those typically encountered in conventional condensed-matter systems.