Several error correction schemes have been proposed for trapped ion quantum computers (e.g., [1-3]). The optimal choice is dependent on the physical system and the total number of qubits. Professors Ken Brown at Georgia Tech and Luming Duan at the University of Michigan are numerically investigating the outcomes of different error correction strategies.
A large number of physical controls are required to perform gates on a few error-corrected logical qubits. To date, trapped ion systems have been limited to few physical qubits and have not required overly complex or scaled classical control systems. To build a trapped ion quantum computer capable of rapid computation and error correction, a suite of high speed, low noise, classical controls are necessary. We envision a modular, scalable control system that can meet the numerous stringent requirements for a high fidelity ion qubit system.
[1] Steane, Andrew M. Physical Review Letters 77, 793 (1996).
[2] Bacon, Dave Physical Review A 73, 012340 (2006).
[3] Tomita, Yu, and Krysta M. Svore. Physical Review A 90, 062320 (2014).