Simple quantum algorithms with an electron in a Penning trap

Lucas Lamata, Diego Porras, J. I. Cirac +2 more

Zirui Fang, Xing Fan

A spherical Penning trap has well-separated, clean microwave resonances, making it attractive for precision measurements of the electron magnetic moment and for dark-photon and axion searches with trapped electrons. We demonstrate single-electron trapping in a spherical Penning trap and characterize its microwave resonance structure. The design, single-electron detection, microwave mode characterization, and advantages of this geometry are presented.

J. Goldman, G. Gabrielse

A one-electron qubit would offer a new option for quantum information science, including the possibility of extremely long coherence times. One-quantum cyclotron transitions and spin flips have been observed for a single electron in a cylindrical Penning trap. However, an electron suspended in a planar Penning trap is a more promising building block for the array of coupled qubits needed for quantum information studies. The optimized design configurations identified here promise to make it possible to realize the elusive goal of one trapped electron in a planar Penning trap---a substantial step toward a one-electron qubit.

Zirui Fang, Benedict A. D. Sukra, Xing Fan

We demonstrate single-electron trapping and detection in a two-dimensionally scalable dual-plane printed-circuit-board Penning trap. We characterize deterministic electron loading, axial damping, axial temperature, and collision-induced magnetron-radius growth at low magnetic fields. These results establish a practical platform for planar Penning traps and identify key next steps toward applications in quantum information science.

Song Yuan Yan