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arXiv:2308.14918 · Nature Communications

Multi-site integrated optical addressing of trapped ions

Joonhyuk Kwon, William Setzer, Michael R. Gehl, Nicholas J. Karl, Jay Wesley Van Der Wall, Ryan Law, Matthew G. Blain, Daniel Stick, Hayden McGuinness

Published May 2, 2024• 39 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Abstract One of the most effective ways to advance the performance of quantum computers and quantum sensors is to increase the number of qubits or quantum resources in the system. A major technical challenge that must be solved to realize this goal for trapped-ion systems is scaling the delivery of optical signals to many individual ions. In this paper we demonstrate an approach employing waveguides and multi-mode interferometer splitters to optically address multiple 171Yb+ ions in a surface trap by delivering all wavelengths required for full qubit control. Measurements of hyperfine spectra and Rabi flopping were performed on the E2 clock transition, using integrated waveguides for delivering the light needed for Doppler cooling, state preparation, coherent operations, and detection. We describe the use of splitters to address multiple ions using a single optical input per wavelength and use them to demonstrate simultaneous Rabi flopping on two different transitions occurring at distinct trap sites. This work represents an important step towards the realization of scalable integrated photonics for atomic clocks and trapped-ion quantum information systems.

DOI
10.1038/s41467-024-47882-5

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Abstract One of the most effective ways to advance the performance of quantum computers and quantum sensors is to increase the number of qubits or quantum resources in the system. A major technical challenge that must be solved to realize this goal for trapped-ion systems is scaling the delivery of optical signals to many individual ions. In this paper we demonstrate an approach employing waveguides and multi-mode interferometer splitters to optically address multiple 171Yb+ ions in a surface trap by delivering all wavelengths required for full qubit control. Measurements of hyperfine spectra and Rabi flopping were performed on the E2 clock transition, using integrated waveguides for delivering the light needed for Doppler cooling, state preparation, coherent operations, and detection. We describe the use of splitters to address multiple ions using a single optical input per wavelength and use them to demonstrate simultaneous Rabi flopping on two different transitions occurring at distinct trap sites. This work represents an important step towards the realization of scalable integrated photonics for atomic clocks and trapped-ion quantum information systems.
Abstract Monolithic integration of control technologies for atomic systems is a promising route to the development of quantum computers and portable quantum sensors1–4. Trapped atomic ions form the basis of high-fidelity quantum information processors5, 6 and high-accuracy optical clocks7. However, current implementations rely on free-space optics for ion control, which limits their portability and scalability. Here we demonstrate a surface-electrode ion-trap chip8, 9 using integrated waveguides and grating couplers, which delivers all the wavelengths of light required for ionization, cooling, coherent operations and quantum state preparation and detection of Sr+ qubits. Laser light from violet to infrared is coupled onto the chip via an optical-fibre array, creating an inherently stable optical path, which we use to demonstrate qubit coherence that is resilient to platform vibrations. This demonstration of CMOS-compatible integrated photonic surface-trap fabrication, robust packaging and enhanced qubit coherence is a key advance in the development of portable trapped-ion quantum sensors and clocks, providing a way towards the complete, individual control of larger numbers of ions in quantum information processing systems.
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Monolithic integration of control technologies for atomic systems presents a promising route to the development of quantum computers and portable quantum sensors. Trapped atomic ions form the basis of high-fidelity quantum information processors and high-accuracy optical clocks, but currently rely on free-space optics for ion control, limiting portability and scalability. Here we demonstrate a surface-electrode ion trap which delivers all wavelengths required for ionization, cooling, coherent operations, and quantum-state preparation and detection of Sr+^{+}+ qubits using integrated waveguides and grating couplers. Laser light from the violet to the infrared is coupled onto the chip via an optical-fiber array, creating an inherently stable optical path that we use to demonstrate qubit coherence resilient to platform vibrations. This demonstration of CMOS-compatible integrated-photonic surface-trap fabrication, robust packaging, and enhanced qubit coherence represents a key advance in the development of portable trapped-ion quantum sensors and clocks, and it lights the way toward the complete, individual control of larger numbers of ions in quantum information processing systems.
Recent advances of quantum technologies rely on precise control and integration of quantum objects, and technological breakthrough is anticipated for further scaling up to realize practical applications. Trapped-ion quantum technology is a promising candidates to realize them, while its scalability depends on the development of intra-node scaling up, reproducibility of quantum nodes and photonic interconnection among them. Utilization of integrated photonics instead of free-space optics is a crucial step toward mass production of trapped-ion quantum nodes and manifests itself as useful for laser delivery for various quantum operations and photon detection. However, whole architecture of the scalable photonic circuits for them is left unexplored. In this work, we discuss photonic architectures for trapped-ion quantum devices, in which lasers of multiple wavelengths are delivered to multiple trapping zones within a single chip. We analyze two methods of configuring nanophotonic waveguides and compare them in terms of loss of total laser power. This work opens up a new landscape of photonic architecture for various applications not only to quantum ones such as trapped-ion devices but also to classical photonics, e.g. optoelectronic devices and biochemical sensing.
Multiplexed operations and extended coherent control over multiple trapping sites are fundamental requirements for a trapped-ion processor in a large-scale architecture. Here, we demonstrate these building blocks using a surface-electrode trap with integrated photonic components which are scalable to larger numbers of zones. We implement a Ramsey sequence using the integrated light in two zones, separated by 375 μ m , performing transport of the ion from one zone to the other in 200 μ s between pulses. In order to achieve low motional excitation during transport, we develop techniques to measure and mitigate the effect of the exposed dielectric surfaces used to deliver the integrated light to the ion. We also demonstrate simultaneous control of two ions in separate zones with low optical crosstalk and use this to perform simultaneous spectroscopy to correlate field noise between the two sites. Our work demonstrates the first transport and coherent multizone operations in integrated photonic ion trap systems, forming the basis for further scaling in the trapped-ion quantum charge-coupled device architecture.
Recent advances in quantum technologies rely on precise control and integration of quantum objects, and technological breakthroughs are anticipated for further scaling up to realize practical applications. Trapped-ion quantum technology is a promising candidate to realize them, while its scalability depends on the development of intra-node scaling up, reproducibility of quantum nodes, and photonic interconnection among them. Utilization of integrated photonics instead of free-space optics is a crucial step toward mass production of trapped-ion quantum nodes and manifests itself as useful for laser delivery for various quantum operations and photon detection. However, the whole architecture of the scalable photonic circuits for them is left unexplored. In this work, we discuss photonic routing architectures for trapped-ion quantum devices, in which lasers of multiple wavelengths are delivered to multiple trapping zones within a single chip. We analyze two methods of configuring nanophotonic waveguides and compare them in terms of loss of total laser power. This work opens up a new landscape of photonic architecture for trapped-ion quantum technologies, which broadens the scope of integrated photonics for quantum technologies.