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High-Resolution Imaging of Trapped Ions for Scalable Quantum Computing

Andreas Jechow, Erik W. Streed, B. G. Norton, M.J. Petrasiunas, D. Kielpinski

Published Jan 1, 2011• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

A microfabricated phase Fresnel lens was used to image trapped ytterbium ions. This scalable architecture yields ion spot sizes of 440nm (FWHM), the highest imaging resolution ever achieved with an atom in free space.
DOI
10.1364/iqec.2011.i250

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A microfabricated phase Fresnel lens was used to image ytterbium ions trapped in a radio frequency Paul trap. The ions were laser cooled close to the Doppler limit on the 369.5 nm transition, reducing the ion motion so that each ion formed a near point source. By detecting the ion fluorescence on the same transition, near-diffraction-limited imaging with spot sizes of below 440 nm (FWHM) was achieved. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of wavelength-scale imaging of trapped ions and the highest imaging resolution ever achieved with atoms in free space.
Trapped ions are a leading system for realizing quantum information processing (QIP). Most of the technologies required for implementing large-scale trapped-ion QIP have been demonstrated, with one key exception: a massively parallel ion-photon interconnect. Arrays of microfabricated phase Fresnel lenses (PFL) are a promising interconnect solution that is readily integrated with ion trap arrays for large-scale QIP. Here we show the first imaging of trapped ions with a microfabricated in-vacuum PFL, demonstrating performance suitable for scalable QIP. A single ion fluorescence collection efficiency of 4.2±1.5% was observed. The depth of focus for the imaging system was 19.4±2.4 μm and the field of view was 140±20 μm. Our approach also provides an integrated solution for high-efficiency optical coupling in neutral atom and solid-state QIP architectures.
Efficient ion-photon coupling is an important component for large-scale ion-trap quantum computing. We propose that arrays of phase Fresnel lenses (PFLs) are a favorable optical coupling technology to match with multi-zone ion traps. Both are scalable technologies based on conventional micro-fabrication techniques. The large numerical apertures (NAs) possible with PFLs can reduce the readout time for ion qubits. PFLs also provide good coherent ion-photon coupling by matching a large fraction of an ion's emission pattern to a single optical propagation mode (TEM00_{00}00​). To this end we have optically characterized a large numerical aperture phase Fresnel lens (NA=0.64) designed for use at 369.5 nm, the principal fluorescence detection transition for Yb+^++ ions. A diffraction-limited spot w0=350±15w_0=350\pm15w0​=350±15 nm (1/e21/e^21/e2 waist) with mode quality M2=1.08±0.05M^2= 1.08\pm0.05M2=1.08±0.05 was measured with this PFL. From this we estimate the minimum expected free space coherent ion-photon coupling to be 0.64\%, which is twice the best previous experimental measurement using a conventional multi-element lens. We also evaluate two techniques for improving the entanglement fidelity between the ion state and photon polarization with large numerical aperture lenses.