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arXiv:2604.13872

Experimental realisation of topological spin textures in a Penning trap

Julian Y. Z. Jee, Nihar Makadia, Joseph H. Pham, Gustavo Café de Miranda, Michael J. Biercuk, Athreya Shankar, Robert N. Wolf

quant-phphysics.atom-phSubmitted Apr 15, 2026• Announced Apr 16, 2026• 0 citations
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Abstract

Quantum simulation with controllable many-body platforms offers a powerful route to exploring complex phases and dynamics that are difficult to access in natural materials. Among these, topological spin textures such as skyrmions are central to modern condensed-matter physics and play a key role in chiral quantum many-body systems. Their controlled realisation in large, programmable quantum platforms, however, remains an outstanding challenge. Here, we report deterministic generation and site-resolved reconstruction of topological spin textures in a two-dimensional crystal of more than 150 trapped ions. Using globally applied spin-dependent forces, we generate skyrmion configurations and reconstruct the full vector spin field with single-ion resolution, obtaining a winding number of 0.99$\pm$0.02 and a mean local fidelity of 0.87$\pm$0.04. In addition, we implement single-ion-resolved control to deterministically prepare domain-wall states, extending our approach to a broader class of non-uniform spin textures. These results establish trapped-ion crystals as a platform for engineering complex spin textures and open the door to exploring topology-dependent nonequilibrium dynamics in long-range interacting quantum systems.

Comments
12 pages, 8 figures

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Quantum simulation with controllable many-body platforms offers a powerful route to exploring complex phases and dynamics that are difficult to access in natural materials. Among these, topological spin textures such as skyrmions are central to modern condensed-matter physics and play a key role in chiral quantum many-body systems. Their controlled realisation in large, programmable quantum platforms, however, remains an outstanding challenge. Here, we report deterministic generation and site-resolved reconstruction of topological spin textures in a two-dimensional crystal of more than 150 trapped ions. Using globally applied spin-dependent forces, we generate skyrmion configurations and reconstruct the full vector spin field with single-ion resolution, obtaining a winding number of 0.99±\pm±0.02 and a mean local fidelity of 0.87±\pm±0.04. In addition, we implement single-ion-resolved control to deterministically prepare domain-wall states, extending our approach to a broader class of non-uniform spin textures. These results establish trapped-ion crystals as a platform for engineering complex spin textures and open the door to exploring topology-dependent nonequilibrium dynamics in long-range interacting quantum systems.
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Quantum simulations using AMO systems promise a new way to experimentally study emergent quantum phenomena, but few systems have demonstrated the capability to control ensembles in which quantum effects cannot be directly computed. The 2D array of 100s of 9Be+ ions in a Penning trap, crystallized in a triangular lattice when laser cooled, is a promising platform for intractable quantum simulations using the 9Be+ valence electron spin as a qubit [1]. Spin-dependent forces are employed to modify the strong Coulomb interaction of the ions, mimicking a quantum magnetic interaction. The range of the magnetic interaction can be tuned from infinite to a dipole-dipole like coupling. Combining the application of the spin-dependent force with a transverse magnetic field should lead to the development of quantum correlations between the spins, which can be measured through optical readout of the spin state, both globally and with site-resolved imaging. In this way, trapped atomic ions can be used to probe novel and intractable aspects of quantum magnetism, including the effects of long-range interactions and simulations of quantum non-equilibrium phenomena [2]. In addition to a general overview, I will discuss recent work from a new Penning trap set-up at NIST.
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