Note: The overall goal of the eQual project (Encoded Qubit Alive), funded under the IARPA call LogiQ (https://www.iarpa.gov/index.php/research-programs/logiq/logical-qubits), is to experimentally realise one logical qubit based on a string of trapped ions, which outperforms the quality of its constituent qubits. The approach taken by the eQual research consortium, which is led by the University of Innsbruck, is to use a string formed of about 10 trapped atomic ions to implement one such logical qubit in the laboratory.