Quantum Simulation of Spin Models on an Arbitrary Lattice with Trapped Ions

A collection of trapped atomic ions represents one of the most attractive platforms for the quantum simulation of interacting spin networks and quantum magnetism. Spin-dependent optical dipole forces applied to an ion crystal create long-range effective spin-spin interactions and allow the simulation of spin Hamiltonians that possess nontrivial phases and dynamics. Here we show how appropriate design of laser fields can provide for arbitrary multidimensional spin-spin interaction graphs even for the case of a linear spatial array of ions. This scheme uses currently existing trap technology and is scalable to levels where classical methods of simulation are intractable.