Trapped ions for quantum information processing has been an area of intense study due to the extraordinarily high fidelity operations that have been reported experimentally. Specifically, barium trapped ions have been shown to have exceptional state-preparation and measurement (SPAM) fidelities. The $^{133}\mathrm{Ba}^+$ ($I = 1/2$) isotope in particular is a promising candidate for large-scale quantum computing experiments. However, a major pitfall with this isotope is that it is radioactive and is thus generally used in microgram quantities to satisfy safety regulations. We describe a new method for creating microgram barium chloride ($\mathrm{BaCl}_2$) ablation targets for use in trapped ion experiments and compare our procedure to previous methods. We outline two recipes for fabrication of ablation targets that increase the production of neutral atoms for isotope-selective loading of barium ions. We show that heat-treatment of the ablation targets greatly increases the consistency at which neutral atoms can be produced and we characterize the uniformity of these targets using trap-independent techniques such as energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and neutral fluorescence collection. Our comparison between fabrication techniques and demonstration of consistent neutral fluorescence paves a path towards reliable loading of $^{133}\mathrm{Ba}^+$ in surface traps and opens opportunities for scalable quantum computing with this isotope.
Microgram BaCl2 Ablation Targets for Trapped Ion Experiments
Trapped ions for quantum information processing has been an area of intense study due to the extraordinarily high fidelity operations that have been reported experimentally. Specifically, barium trapped ions have been shown to have exceptional state-preparation and measurement (SPAM) fidelities. The 133Ba+ (I=1/2) isotope in particular is a promising candidate for large-scale quantum computing experiments. However, a major pitfall with this isotope is that it is radioactive and is thus generally used in microgram quantities to satisfy safety regulations. We describe a new method for creating microgram barium chloride (BaCl2) ablation targets for use in trapped ion experiments and compare our procedure to previous methods. We outline two recipes for fabrication of ablation targets that increase the production of neutral atoms for isotope-selective loading of barium ions. We show that heat-treatment of the ablation targets greatly increases the consistency at which neutral atoms can be produced and we characterize the uniformity of these targets using trap-independent techniques such as energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and neutral fluorescence collection. Our comparison between fabrication techniques and demonstration of consistent neutral fluorescence paves a path towards reliable loading of 133Ba+ in surface traps and opens opportunities for scalable quantum computing with this isotope.
Trapped ions for quantum information processing have been an area of intense study due to the extraordinarily high fidelity operations that have been reported experimentally. Specifically, barium trapped ions have been shown to have exceptional state-preparation and measurement fidelities. The 133Ba+ (I = 1/2) isotope in particular is a promising candidate for large-scale quantum computing experiments. However, a major pitfall with this isotope is that it is radioactive and is thus generally used in microgram quantities to satisfy safety regulations. We describe a new method for creating microgram barium chloride (BaCl2) ablation targets for use in trapped ion experiments and compare our procedure to previous methods. We outline two recipes for the fabrication of ablation targets that increase the production of neutral atoms for isotope-selective loading of barium ions. We show that heat-treatment of the ablation targets greatly increases the consistency at which neutral atoms can be produced, and we characterize the uniformity of these targets using trap-independent techniques such as energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy and neutral fluorescence collection. Our comparison between fabrication techniques and the demonstration of consistent neutral fluorescence paves a path toward reliable loading of 133Ba+ in surface traps and opens opportunities for scalable quantum computing with this isotope.
The 133Ba+ ion is a promising candidate as a high-fidelity qubit, and the 137Ba+ isotope is promising as a high-fidelity qudit (d>2). Barium metal is very reactive, and 133Ba+ is radioactive and can only be sourced in small quantities, so the most commonly used loading method, oven heating, is less suited for barium and is currently not possible for 133Ba+. Pulsed laser ablation solves both of these problems by utilizing compound barium sources while also giving some distinct advantages, such as fast loading, less displaced material, and lower heat load near the ion trap. Because of the relatively low abundances of the isotopes of interest, a two-step photoionization technique is used, which gives us the ability to selectively load isotopes. Characterization of the ablation process for our BaCl2 targets are presented, including observation of neutral and ion ablation-fluence regimes, preparation and conditioning, lifetimes of ablation spots, and plume velocity distributions. We show that by using laser ablation on BaCl2 salt targets with a two-step photoionization method, we can produce and trap barium ions reliably. Furthermore, we demonstrate that with our photoionization method, we can trap 137Ba+ with an enhanced selectivity compared to its natural abundance.
Trapped-ion quantum information processing may benefit from qubits encoded in isotopes that are practically available in only small quantities, e.g., due to low natural abundance or radioactivity. Laser ablation provides a method of controllably liberating neutral atoms or ions from low-volume targets, but energetic ablation products can be difficult to confine in the small ion-electrode distance, micron-scale microfabricated traps amenable to high-speed, high-fidelity manipulation of ion arrays. Here, we investigate ablation-based ion loading into surface-electrode traps of different sizes to test a model describing ion loading probability as a function of effective trap volume and other trap parameters. We characterize loading of ablated barium from a metallic source in two cryogenic surface-electrode traps with 730 and 50 μm ion-electrode distances. Our loading rate agrees with a predictive analytical model, providing insight for the confinement of limited-quantity species of interest for quantum computing, simulation, and sensing.
High-fidelity operation of a radioactive trapped-ion qubit, 133Ba+
133Ba+ has been identified as an attractive ion for quantum information processing due to the unique combination of its spin-1/2 nucleus, visible wavelength electronic transitions, and long D-state lifetimes ($\\tau\\sim 1min).Usingamicrogramsourceofradioactivematerial,wetrapandlaser−coolthesynthetictextitA=133radioisotopeofbariumII(\\tau_{1/2} \\approx 10.5yr)inaradio−frequencyiontrap.Todemonstratehighfidelityqubitoperations,anumberofunknownstateenergieswereneeded.Wemeasuretheisotopeshiftandhyperfinestructureofthe6^2P_{1/2}\\leftrightarrow 5^2D_{3/2}$ electronic transition needed for laser cooling, state preparation, and state detection of the clock-state hyperfine and optical qubits. For high-fidelity operations with electron shelving, we report measurements of the 62P3/2 and 52D5/2 hyperfine splittings, as well as the~62P3/2leftrightarrow62S1/2 and ~62P3/2leftrightarrow52D5/2 transition frequencies. Using these transitions, we demonstrate high-fidelity \\ba \\ hyperfine qubit manipulation with electron shelving detection to benchmark qubit state preparation and measurement (SPAM). Using single-shot, threshold discrimination, we measure an average SPAM fidelity of mathcalF=0.99971(3), a factor of approx 2 improvement over the best reported performance of any qubit.Finally, we report the 62P1/2leftrightarrow52D3/2 electronic transition isotope shift for the rare \\textit{A} = 130 and 132 barium nuclides, completing the spectroscopic characterization necessary for laser cooling all long-lived barium II isotopes.
Cold trapped ions have many applications in quantum information science and precision metrology. In this thesis, we present progress toward two objectives involving ions confined to linear RF traps: the strong coupling of Ba+ ions with a high finesse optical cavity, and the observation of an optical nuclear transition in 229Th3+. In pursuit of the first objective, a novel high-temperture vapor cell for the spectroscopy of neutral barium was constructed. Using this vapor cell, a new technique for isotope-selective photoionization loading of Ba+ in an ion trap was developed. In pursuit of the second objective, techniques ultimately to be used in creating, trapping, and observing 229Th3+ are studied using 232Th3+. Ion traps are loaded with 232Th3+ via laser ablation of thorium targets. 232Th3+ is detected optically using laser-induced fluorescence and electronically using a channel electron multiplier. A technique for creating ablation targets from trace quantities of thorium nitrate is presented. The primary loss mechanisms of Th3+, charge exchange and chemical reactions, are studied.
^{133}Ba^{+} has been identified as an attractive ion for quantum information processing due to the unique combination of its spin-1/2 nucleus and visible wavelength electronic transitions. Using a microgram source of radioactive material, we trap and laser cool the synthetic A=133 radioisotope of barium II in a radio-frequency ion trap. Using the same, single trapped atom, we measure the isotope shifts and hyperfine structure of the 6^{2}P_{1/2}↔6^{2}S_{1/2} and 6^{2}P_{1/2}↔5^{2}D_{3/2} electronic transitions that are needed for laser cooling, state preparation, and state detection of the clock-state hyperfine and optical qubits. We also report the 6^{2}P_{1/2}↔5^{2}D_{3/2} electronic transition isotope shift for the rare A=130 and 132 barium nuclides, completing the spectroscopic characterization necessary for laser cooling all long-lived barium II isotopes.