Quantum computing beyond Zeros and Ones

Despite the paradigm shift from classical to quantum information, the
overwhelming majority of quantum computers and simulators still hold on
to the age old tradition of computing with Zeros and Ones. Yet, nature
does not give us two-level systems. So I would like to make the case,
from the experimentalist perspective, as well as the theorist
perspective, for embracing the natural multi-level structure of our
quantum systems as the basis for efficient computation. I will discuss
the opportunities and challenges of qudit-based quantum computing and
simulation with trapped ions, with an eye towards applications in
high-energy physics.