Optical Fiber Communication Conference
Quantum information processing in a Penning ion trap
J. J. Bollinger, Jason M. Kriesel, Wayne M. Itano, T. B. Mitchell
Abstract
We discuss the potential of the Penning ion trap for quantum information processing. An ion plasma in a Penning trap rotates about the trap (or magnetic field) axis. We have demonstrated phase-locked control of this rotation by a rotating electric field perturbation (a “rotating wall”). This precise control enables the formation of planar arrays of ions that could potentially be used for quantum computation with the Cirac-Zoller scheme, mimicking a “hard disk” geometry. Current experiments with miniature rf traps observe significant heating and decoherence which is believed to be due to fluctuating patch fields on the trap electrodes. This heating should be several orders of magnitude less in the larger Penning trap.