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arXiv:2001.05013 · Review of Scientific Instruments

A Paul trap with sectored ring electrodes for experiments with two-dimensional ion crystals

Megan Ivory, A. Kato, A. Hasanzadeh, B. B. Blinov

Published May 1, 2020• 12 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We have developed a trapped ion system for producing two-dimensional (2D) ion crystals for applications in scalable quantum computing, quantum simulations, and 2D crystal phase transition and defect studies. The trap is a modification of a Paul trap with its ring electrode flattened and split into eight identical sectors and its two endcap electrodes shaped as truncated hollow cones for laser and imaging optics access. All ten trap electrodes can be independently DC-biased to create various aspect ratio trap geometries. We trap and Doppler cool 2D crystals of up to 30 Ba+ ions and demonstrate the tunability of the trapping potential both in the plane of the crystal and in the transverse direction.

DOI
10.1063/1.5145102

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We have developed a trapped ion system for producing two-dimensional (2D) ion crystals for applications in scalable quantum computing, quantum simulations, and 2D crystal phase transition and defect studies. The trap is a modification of a Paul trap with its ring electrode flattened and split into eight identical sectors and its two endcap electrodes shaped as truncated hollow cones for laser and imaging optics access. All ten trap electrodes can be independently DC-biased to create various aspect ratio trap geometries. We trap and Doppler cool 2D crystals of up to 30 Ba+ ions and demonstrate the tunability of the trapping potential both in the plane of the crystal and in the transverse direction.
We experimentally study two-dimensional (2D) Coulomb crystals in the "radial-2D" phase of a linear Paul trap. This phase is identified by a 2D ion lattice aligned entirely with the radial plane and is created by imposing a large ratio of axial to radial trapping potentials. Using arrays of up to 19 ^{171}Yb^{+} ions, we demonstrate that the structural phase boundaries of such crystals are well described by the pseudopotential approximation, despite the time-dependent ion positions driven by intrinsic micromotion. We further observe that micromotion-induced heating of the radial-2D crystal is confined to the radial plane. Finally, we verify that the transverse motional modes, which are used in most ion-trap quantum simulation schemes, are well-predictable numerically and remain decoupled and cold in this geometry. Our results establish radial-2D ion crystals as a robust experimental platform for realizing a variety of theoretical proposals in quantum simulation and computation.
Chiaverini et al. [Quantum Inf. Comput. 5, 419 (2005)] recently suggested a linear Paul trap geometry for ion-trap quantum computation that places all of the electrodes in a plane. Such planar ion traps are compatible with modern semiconductor fabrication techniques and can be scaled to make compact, many-zone traps. In this paper we present an experimental realization of planar ion traps using electrodes on a printed circuit board to trap linear chains of tens of charged particles of $0.44\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{\ensuremath{\mu}}\mathrm{m}$ diameter in a vacuum of $15\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{Pa}\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}({10}^{\ensuremath{-}1}\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{torr})$. With these traps we address concerns about the low trap depth of planar ion traps and develop control electrode layouts for moving ions between trap zones without facing some of the technical difficulties involved in an atomic ion-trap experiment. Specifically, we use a trap with 36 zones (77 electrodes) arranged in a cross to demonstrate loading from a traditional four-rod linear Paul trap, linear ion movement, splitting and joining of ion chains, and movement of ions through intersections. We further propose an additional dc-biased electrode above the trap which increases the trap depth dramatically, and a planar ion-trap geometry that generates a two-dimensional lattice of point Paul traps.
Large ion crystals in diverse geometries are a key resource for quantum simulation experiments. In this work, we introduce a macroscopic rf trap that supports a wide variety of one-dimensional ion configurations as well as lateral two-dimensional crystals with more than 100 ions. Our design is based on precision-machined fused silica wafers that are stacked to form the trap structure. Ten independently biased electrodes provide flexible control over the axial potential, enabling long one-dimensional crystals, isospaced ion strings, split-well chains, and two-dimensional arrays with tunable aspect ratios. We present the design and fabrication process for this trap and demonstrate the ability to tune the radial secular frequencies, detect and compensate micromotion, rotate the principal axes, and characterize trapped ion heating rates. All trap design and documentation files are freely available alongside this work, to facilitate adoption and further development within the ion trap community.
Laser-cooled trapped ions platform is one of the best candidates for the development of future quantum computing. This has generated a major worldwide research effort aimed at scaling and integrating trapping devices. As part of this effort, we are developing miniature atomic ion traps in the laboratory: Paul linear surface traps manufactured in collaboration with Nanyang Technology University and the Microelectronics Institute of Singapore. An original feature of the manufacturing process is that all the electrical contacts of the trap electrodes are made through the Silicon substrate (TSV: through silicon vias). In this way, the wire-bondings usually soldered directly to the electrodes can be offset or completely eliminated [1]. This opens the way to complex architectures, in particular cylindrically symmetrical ring traps, which cannot be made with surface connections that would break the desired symmetry. The trapping and laser cooling of ions in cylindrically symmetrical linear Paul traps (called "ion storage rings" in their macroscopic version, diameters of around 100 mm) was demonstrated in pioneering work at Garching [2] and subsequently extended to microfabricated traps (multilayer technology) at Sandia National Labs (diameter 2.5 mm) [3] and Berkeley (diameter 95 μm) [4]. These devices are of interest because, in the absence of defects, they enable rotational symmetry for the trapped ions and thus periodic boundary conditions for the confined cold ion system (Coulomb crystal). They are also candidates for observing and manipulating the rotational quantum state of trapped ion ensembles [4]. We will present our latest results concerning the performance of TSV surface ring traps (diameters between 150 and 210 μm) manufactured in Singapore. In particular, we loaded these traps with Dopplercooled 88Sr+ ions (from a single ion to several hundreds). Laser cooling and image acquisition enable us to estimate the defects of the trapping potential with respect to perfect rotational symmetry. The application of DC voltages to a set of segmented electrodes then makes it possible to compensate for most of these defects, which nevertheless remain the major problem to be solved in order to achieve sub milikelvin free motion.
Abstract Using a 2D ion crystal for quantum simulation and computation has been pursued for a long time. The coherent manipulation of a stationary 2D crystal in the Paul trap may be hampered by the micromotion synchronous with the oscillating electric field. Here, a simple Paul trap that stably confines over 20 ions in a stationary 2D crystal is presented. The disturbance of the micromotion in coherent operations is mitigated by making the direction of micromotion perpendicular to the transverse direction of the 2D crystal. To achieve the condition of perpendicularity, the structure of the trap electrodes is comprehensively designed, which also provides the controllability of rotating principal axes. The transverse vibrational modes by Raman laser‐beams are addressed and coherent evolution of sideband transitions on these modes observed. Moreover, this trap allows for optical access with a 0.86 numerical aperture which facilitates applying individually addressing laser‐beams. This work can be an example of realizing a 2D‐trapped‐ion based quantum simulator and computer in a Paul trap.
Abstract We present the design and experimental demonstration of an open-endcap radio frequency trap to confine ion crystals in the radial-two dimensional (2D) structural phase. The central axis of the trap is kept free of obstructions to allow for site-resolved imaging of ions in the 2D crystal plane, and the confining potentials are provided by four segmented blade electrodes. We discuss the design challenges, fabrication techniques, and voltage requirements for implementing this open-endcap trap. Finally, we validate its operation by confining up to 29 ions in a 2D triangular lattice, oriented such that both in-plane principal axes of the 2D crystal lie in the radial direction.