Experimental Recovery of a Qubit from Partial Collapse

Abstract

We describe and implement a method to restore the state of a single qubit, in principle perfectly, after it has partially collapsed. The method resembles the classical Hahn spin echo but works on a wider class of relaxation processes, in which the quantum state partially leaves the computational Hilbert space. It is not guaranteed to work every time, but successful outcomes are heralded. We demonstrate, using a single trapped ion, a better performance from this recovery method than can be obtained employing projection and postselection alone. The demonstration features a novel qubit implementation that permits both partial collapse and coherent manipulations with high fidelity.