Optimization of segmented linear Paul traps and transport of stored particles

Abstract

Single ions held in linear Paul traps are promising candidates for a future quantum computer. Here, we discuss a two-layer microstructured segmented linear ion trap. The radial and axial potentials are obtained from numeric field simulations and the geometry of the trap is optimized. As the trap electrodes are segmented in the axial direction, the trap allows the transport of ions between different spatial regions. Starting with realistic numerically obtained axial potentials, we optimize the transport of an ion such that the motional degrees of freedom are not excited, even though the transport speed far exceeds the adiabatic regime. In our optimization we achieve a transport within roughly two oscillation periods in the axial trap potential compared to typical adiabatic transports that take of the order 10 2 oscillations. Furthermore heating due to quantum mechanical effects is estimated and suppression strategies are proposed.

Fast shuttling of a trapped ion in the presence of noise

“…Even in the case that position noise is dominant, the trajectories that minimize the effect of spring-constant noise are useful, since these trajectories minimize as well the time average of the potential energy [15,17], thus adverse effects of anharmonicity [18,36] are suppressed.…”

Versatile ytterbium ion trap experiment for operation of scalable ion-trap chips with motional heating and transition-frequency measurements

“…Their suitability has been well demonstrated with state preparation and detection [13][14][15][16][17]; qubit entanglement, gates, and error correction [18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27]; and transport of ions within ion trap arrays [28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36]. Development of scalable traps that can encompass all of these operations is now the next stage toward more practical systems incorporating microfabricated chip traps [36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47], but realizing experimental setups can be challenging.…”

Manipulating the quantum information of the radial modes of trapped ions: linear phononics, entanglement generation, quantum state transmission and non-locality tests

“…Although certainly extremely challenging, this sort of control could conceivably be achieved within the next few years. Let us also note that a setting formally identical to the one we describe here could be reproduced shortly even for locally defined axial ('longitudinal') modes in segmented Paul traps [10]: quite remarkably, this would address both the issue of local control and of switching times.…”

“…In order to give a complete account of the possibilities offered by radial modes, let us here review such strategies, and briefly comment about their applicability to radial modes. As a general remark let us mention that, because of the tighter confinement they allow for, radial modes easily meet the Lamb-Dicke condition (depending on the width of the ground state's wavepacket), which means that the coupling with the internal degrees of freedom can be tailored to a high degree of accuracy (generally better than for longitudinal modes) 10 . Also, individual ions can be addressed in such manipulations as, at spacings of some micrometers and assuming pulses' waists of the order of 1 µm, less than 1% of the central laser power would be shined on neighbouring ions with respect to the central one.…”