Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:1603.05492 · Review of Scientific Instruments

Active stabilization of ion trap radiofrequency potentials

K. G. Johnson, J. David Wong-Campos, Alessandro Restelli, K. A. Landsman, Brian Neyenhuis, Jonathan Mizrahi, Christopher R. Monroe

Published May 1, 2016• 73 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We actively stabilize the harmonic oscillation frequency of a laser-cooled atomic ion confined in a radiofrequency (rf) Paul trap by sampling and rectifying the high voltage rf applied to the trap electrodes. We are able to stabilize the 1 MHz atomic oscillation frequency to be better than 10 Hz or 10 ppm. This represents a suppression of ambient noise on the rf circuit by 34 dB. This technique could impact the sensitivity of ion trap mass spectrometry and the fidelity of quantum operations in ion trap quantum information applications.

DOI
10.1063/1.4948734

Related papers

Stabilization of ion-trap secular frequencies for a quantum phase transition study

Jie Zhang, B. T. Chow, P. C. Haljan

An array of ions in a linear radio-frequency (RF) Paul trap is a good candidate for investigating structural phase transitions, such as the linear-to-zigzag (LZ) transition, due to the convenient control provided by modification of the trap confinement strength. In such studies, the trap secular frequencies are a key factor that limits the stability of the critical point (CP). In this paper, we implement secular-frequency stabilization, including active feedback stabilization of the RF voltage near the trap electrodes, and achieve a stability of better than 5~ppm over 200~s for both transverse and axial potentials. To evaluate the combined long-term stability of the trap potential in both directions, we measure the zigzag (ZZ) mode frequency near the CP, where the effect of instability in both trap directions is substantially amplified. The short-term noise within a limited spectral window is also suppressed by this scheme, as inferred from decoherence rates of the ZZ mode measured at different frequencies with Ramsey fringes. We also identify that the limitation of the secular frequency stability is mainly from the imperfect temperature insensitivity of voltage dividers and RF detectors, and as a result improvement of lab temperature stability is of great help for stabilizing the trap frequency.

arXiv:2210.14478•Oct 26, 2022•0 citations

One and Two Photon Excitation of Radiofrequency Trapped Ca+

C. Zumsteg, C. Champenois, Didier Guyomarc’h +3 more

Radiofrequency (rf) trapped ions are versatile candidates for a large panel of applications ranging from quantum information to the creation of cold molecules. Sample size can range from a single to 106 ions, and the internal and external energy states of the atoms can be controlled with high precision. In the experiment, we focus on different protocols related to frequency metrology using rf trapped Ca+.

Chinese Journal of Chemical Physics•Apr 1, 2009•0 citations

A High Motional Frequency Ion Trapping Regime for Quantum Information Science

A. J. Rasmusson

We investigate high frequency motional states of trapped atomic ions. Trapped ions in rf traps are confined by an approximate harmonic potential and exhibit quantum motional states that mediate essential techniques in quantum computing, simulation, networking, and precision measurement. However, motional state decoherence mechanisms, heating and dephasing, are broadly limiting: reduced two-qubit gate fidelities; lower fidelity and lifetime of highly nonclassical bosonic states; long laser cooling times; and large recoil heating rates. These also challenge the scalability of increasingly sophisticated protocols. We propose high motional frequency ion trapping as an operating regime that addresses these challenges and reshapes the design landscape for quantum information experiments and quantum control techniques. We report an experimentally motivated investigation of realizing this high-frequency regime and discuss the consequences for laser cooling, motional state coherence, fidelity and lifetime of nonclassical bosonic states, and scalability of experimental runtimes. We report clear design trajectories for ion traps to reach high motional frequency, a new limiting mechanism for laser cooling at these high frequencies, and more than an order-of-magnitude speedup in experimental duty cycles with larger speed ups possible for quantum error correction protocols. Taken together, high motional frequency ion trapping has broad implications for the future of quantum information experiments.

quant-pharXiv:2604.03435•Apr 7, 2026•0 citations

Laser-cooling limits and single-ion spectroscopy

David J. Wineland, Wayne M. Itano, Jonas Bergquist +1 more

The limitations to the achievement of low kinetic energies for laser cooling of single ions confined in electromagnetic traps are discussed. Sideband cooling of an ion in an rf (Paul) trap is reexamined including the effects of finite laser bandwidth and the energy of the rf micromotion. The micromotion is the oscillatory motion of the ion at the same frequency as the rf voltage applied to the trap electrodes. Sideband cooling of ions in a Penning trap is examined for the first time. In both cases, cooling to the zero-point energy of the ion in the trap should be possible and a method for verifying this condition is suggested. The implications for high-resolution, high-accuracy spectroscopy are investigated. Under certain conditions, the uncertainty in the second-order Doppler shift may be significantly less than 1 part in ${10}^{18}$. .AE

Physical Review A•Sep 1, 1987•165 citations

A compact radiofrequency drive based on interdependent resonant circuits for precise control of ion traps

Amelia Detti, Marco De Pas, Lucia Duca +2 more

Paul traps are widely used to confine electrically charged particles like atomic and molecular ions by using an intense radiofrequency (RF) field, typically obtained by a voltage drop on capacitative electrodes placed in vacuum. We present a RF drive realized on a compact printed circuit board and providing a high-voltage RF signal to a quadrupole Paul trap. The circuit is formed by using four interdependent resonant circuits - each of which is connected to an electrode of a Paul trap - fed by low-noise amplifiers, leading to an output voltage of peak-to-peak amplitude up to 200 V at 3.23 MHz. The presence of a single resonant circuit for each electrode ensures a strong control on the voltage drop on each electrode, e.g., by applying a DC field through a bias tee. Additionally, the moderate quality factor Q = 67 of the resonant circuits ensures a fast operation of the drive, which can be turned on and off in less than 10 μs. Finally, the RF lines are equipped with pickups that sample the RF in phase and amplitude, thus providing a signal that can be used to actively control the voltage drop at the trap's electrodes.

arXiv:1812.02018•Review of Scientific Instruments•Feb 1, 2019•8 citations

An ultralow-noise superconducting radio-frequency ion trap for frequency metrology with highly charged ions

Julian Stark, Christian Warnecke, S. Bogen +17 more

We present a novel ultrastable superconducting radio-frequency (RF) ion trap realized as a combination of an RF cavity and a linear Paul trap. Its RF quadrupole mode at 34.52 MHz reaches a quality factor of Q ≈ 2.3 × 105 at a temperature of 4.1 K and is used to radially confine ions in an ultralow-noise pseudopotential. This concept is expected to strongly suppress motional heating rates and related frequency shifts that limit the ultimate accuracy achieved in advanced ion traps for frequency metrology. Running with its low-vibration cryogenic cooling system, electron-beam ion trap, and deceleration beamline supplying highly charged ions (HCIs), the superconducting trap offers ideal conditions for optical frequency metrology with ionic species. We report its proof-of-principle operation as a quadrupole-mass filter with HCIs and trapping of Doppler-cooled 9Be+ Coulomb crystals.

arXiv:2102.02793•Review of Scientific Instruments•Aug 1, 2021•9 citations
We actively stabilize the harmonic oscillation frequency of a laser-cooled atomic ion confined in a radiofrequency (rf) Paul trap by sampling and rectifying the high voltage rf applied to the trap electrodes. We are able to stabilize the 1 MHz atomic oscillation frequency to be better than 10 Hz or 10 ppm. This represents a suppression of ambient noise on the rf circuit by 34 dB. This technique could impact the sensitivity of ion trap mass spectrometry and the fidelity of quantum operations in ion trap quantum information applications.
An array of ions in a linear radio-frequency (RF) Paul trap is a good candidate for investigating structural phase transitions, such as the linear-to-zigzag (LZ) transition, due to the convenient control provided by modification of the trap confinement strength. In such studies, the trap secular frequencies are a key factor that limits the stability of the critical point (CP). In this paper, we implement secular-frequency stabilization, including active feedback stabilization of the RF voltage near the trap electrodes, and achieve a stability of better than 5~ppm over 200~s for both transverse and axial potentials. To evaluate the combined long-term stability of the trap potential in both directions, we measure the zigzag (ZZ) mode frequency near the CP, where the effect of instability in both trap directions is substantially amplified. The short-term noise within a limited spectral window is also suppressed by this scheme, as inferred from decoherence rates of the ZZ mode measured at different frequencies with Ramsey fringes. We also identify that the limitation of the secular frequency stability is mainly from the imperfect temperature insensitivity of voltage dividers and RF detectors, and as a result improvement of lab temperature stability is of great help for stabilizing the trap frequency.
We investigate high frequency motional states of trapped atomic ions. Trapped ions in rf traps are confined by an approximate harmonic potential and exhibit quantum motional states that mediate essential techniques in quantum computing, simulation, networking, and precision measurement. However, motional state decoherence mechanisms, heating and dephasing, are broadly limiting: reduced two-qubit gate fidelities; lower fidelity and lifetime of highly nonclassical bosonic states; long laser cooling times; and large recoil heating rates. These also challenge the scalability of increasingly sophisticated protocols. We propose high motional frequency ion trapping as an operating regime that addresses these challenges and reshapes the design landscape for quantum information experiments and quantum control techniques. We report an experimentally motivated investigation of realizing this high-frequency regime and discuss the consequences for laser cooling, motional state coherence, fidelity and lifetime of nonclassical bosonic states, and scalability of experimental runtimes. We report clear design trajectories for ion traps to reach high motional frequency, a new limiting mechanism for laser cooling at these high frequencies, and more than an order-of-magnitude speedup in experimental duty cycles with larger speed ups possible for quantum error correction protocols. Taken together, high motional frequency ion trapping has broad implications for the future of quantum information experiments.
The limitations to the achievement of low kinetic energies for laser cooling of single ions confined in electromagnetic traps are discussed. Sideband cooling of an ion in an rf (Paul) trap is reexamined including the effects of finite laser bandwidth and the energy of the rf micromotion. The micromotion is the oscillatory motion of the ion at the same frequency as the rf voltage applied to the trap electrodes. Sideband cooling of ions in a Penning trap is examined for the first time. In both cases, cooling to the zero-point energy of the ion in the trap should be possible and a method for verifying this condition is suggested. The implications for high-resolution, high-accuracy spectroscopy are investigated. Under certain conditions, the uncertainty in the second-order Doppler shift may be significantly less than 1 part in 1018{10}^{18}1018. .AE
Paul traps are widely used to confine electrically charged particles like atomic and molecular ions by using an intense radiofrequency (RF) field, typically obtained by a voltage drop on capacitative electrodes placed in vacuum. We present a RF drive realized on a compact printed circuit board and providing a high-voltage RF signal to a quadrupole Paul trap. The circuit is formed by using four interdependent resonant circuits - each of which is connected to an electrode of a Paul trap - fed by low-noise amplifiers, leading to an output voltage of peak-to-peak amplitude up to 200 V at 3.23 MHz. The presence of a single resonant circuit for each electrode ensures a strong control on the voltage drop on each electrode, e.g., by applying a DC field through a bias tee. Additionally, the moderate quality factor Q = 67 of the resonant circuits ensures a fast operation of the drive, which can be turned on and off in less than 10 μs. Finally, the RF lines are equipped with pickups that sample the RF in phase and amplitude, thus providing a signal that can be used to actively control the voltage drop at the trap's electrodes.
We present a novel ultrastable superconducting radio-frequency (RF) ion trap realized as a combination of an RF cavity and a linear Paul trap. Its RF quadrupole mode at 34.52 MHz reaches a quality factor of Q ≈ 2.3 × 105 at a temperature of 4.1 K and is used to radially confine ions in an ultralow-noise pseudopotential. This concept is expected to strongly suppress motional heating rates and related frequency shifts that limit the ultimate accuracy achieved in advanced ion traps for frequency metrology. Running with its low-vibration cryogenic cooling system, electron-beam ion trap, and deceleration beamline supplying highly charged ions (HCIs), the superconducting trap offers ideal conditions for optical frequency metrology with ionic species. We report its proof-of-principle operation as a quadrupole-mass filter with HCIs and trapping of Doppler-cooled 9Be+ Coulomb crystals.