Benjamin F. Schiffer, Christopher Monroe, Peter Zoller, J. Ignacio Cirac

We propose a quantum computer architecture based on ions confined in optical tweezer arrays, combining the long coherence times of trapped-ion qubits with the reconfigurability and parallel operation enabled by tweezer platforms. Selected ions are transported to local interaction zones, where excitation to an auxiliary state with a displaced optical potential generates a controllable effective electric dipole. We develop and analyze entangling-gate mechanisms mediated by the Coulomb interaction between such effective dipoles, and show that they enable precise, temperature-robust closure of the center-of-mass and relative motional trajectories, leaving no residual entanglement between the qubits and the motion. We further outline a concrete implementation with barium ions based on state-selective polarizability, and study the suppression of cross-talk during parallel gate execution, with relevance to transversal gates in quantum error correction. Our results thereby establish a realistic route toward scalable ion-tweezer quantum processors.