Quantum Computation with Diatomic Bits in Optical Lattices

We propose a scheme for scalable and universal quantum computation using diatomic bits with conditional dipole-dipole interaction, trapped within an optical lattice. The qubit states are encoded by the scattering state and the bound heteronuclear molecular state of two ultracold atoms per site. The conditional dipole-dipole interaction appears between neighboring bits when they both occupy the molecular state. The realization of a universal set of quantum logic gates, which is composed of single-bit operations and a two-bit controlled-NOT gate, is presented. The readout method is also discussed.