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Reprogrammable and high-precision holographic optical addressing of trapped ions for scalable quantum control

Chung-You Shih, Sainath Motlakunta, Nikhil Kotibhaskar, Manas Sajjan, Roland Hablützel, Rajibul Islam

Published Apr 8, 2021• 32 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Abstract High-precision, individually programmable manipulation of quantum particles is crucial for scaling up quantum information processing (QIP) systems such as laser-cooled trapped-ions. However, restricting undesirable “crosstalk” in optical manipulation of ion qubits is fundamentally challenging due to micron-level inter-ion separation. Further, inhomogeneous ion spacing and high susceptibility to aberrations at UV wavelengths suitable for most ion-species pose severe challenges. Here, we demonstrate high-precision individual addressing ( λ = 369.5 nm) of Yb + using a reprogrammable Fourier hologram. The precision is achieved through in-situ aberration characterization via the trapped ion, and compensating (to λ /20) with the hologram. Using an iterative Fourier transformation algorithm (IFTA), we demonstrate an ultra-low (<10 −4 ) intensity crosstalk error in creating arbitrary pair-wise addressing profiles, suitable for over fifty ions. This scheme relies on standard commercial hardware, can be readily extended to over a hundred ions, and adapted to other ion-species and quantum platforms.

DOI
10.1038/s41534-021-00396-0

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Abstract High-precision, individually programmable manipulation of quantum particles is crucial for scaling up quantum information processing (QIP) systems such as laser-cooled trapped-ions. However, restricting undesirable “crosstalk” in optical manipulation of ion qubits is fundamentally challenging due to micron-level inter-ion separation. Further, inhomogeneous ion spacing and high susceptibility to aberrations at UV wavelengths suitable for most ion-species pose severe challenges. Here, we demonstrate high-precision individual addressing ( λ = 369.5 nm) of Yb + using a reprogrammable Fourier hologram. The precision is achieved through in-situ aberration characterization via the trapped ion, and compensating (to λ /20) with the hologram. Using an iterative Fourier transformation algorithm (IFTA), we demonstrate an ultra-low (<10 −4 ) intensity crosstalk error in creating arbitrary pair-wise addressing profiles, suitable for over fifty ions. This scheme relies on standard commercial hardware, can be readily extended to over a hundred ions, and adapted to other ion-species and quantum platforms.
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Abstract Trapped ions are one of the leading platforms for quantum information processing, exhibiting the highest gate and measurement fidelities of all contending hardware. In order to realize a universal quantum computer with trapped ions, independent and parallel control over the state of each qubit is necessary. The manipulation of individual qubit states in an ion chain via stimulated Raman transitions generally requires light focused on individual ions. In this manuscript, we present a novel, guided-light individual addressing system for hyperfine Ba+ qubits. The system takes advantage of laser-written waveguide technology, enabled by the atomic structure of Ba+, allowing the use of visible light to drive Raman transitions. Such waveguides define the spatial mode of light, suppressing aberrations that would have otherwise accumulated in a free-space optics set up. As a result, we demonstrate a nearest neighbor relative intensity crosstalk on the order of 10−4, without any active aberration compensation. This is comparable to or better than other previous demonstrations of individual addressing. At the same time, our modular approach provides independent and agile control over the amplitude, frequency, and phase of each channel; combining the strengths of previous implementations.
Achieving 10−510^{-5}10−5 level relative intensity crosstalk in optical holographic qubit addressing via a double-pass digital micromirror device
Holographic beam shaping is a powerful approach for generating individually addressable optical spots for controlling atomic qubits, such as those in trapped-ion quantum processors. However, its application in qubit control is limited by residual intensity crosstalk at neighboring sites and by a nonzero background floor in the far wings of the addressing beam, leading to accumulated errors from many exposed qubits. Here, we present an all-optical scheme that mitigates both effects using a single digital micromirror device (DMD) operated in a double-pass configuration, in which light interacts with two separate regions of the same device. In the first pass, one region of the DMD is placed in a Fourier plane and implements a binary-amplitude hologram for individual addressing, while in the second pass a different region serves as a programmable intermediate image-plane aperture for spatial filtering. By multiplexing the Fourier-plane hologram to include secondary holograms, we generate weak auxiliary fields that interfere destructively with unwanted light at selected sites, while image-plane filtering suppresses the residual tail at larger distances. Together, these techniques maintain relative intensity crosstalk at or below 10−510^{-5}10−5 (−50 dB-50\,\mathrm{dB}−50dB) across the full field of view relevant for qubit addressing, and further reduce the far-wing background to approximately 10−610^{-6}10−6 at large distances from the addressed qubit, approaching the detection limit. These results provide a compact, DMD-based solution for low-crosstalk optical holographic qubit addressing that is directly applicable to trapped ions and other spatially ordered quantum systems.
High-fidelity focused spots, achieving the diffraction limit and ultra-low crosstalk, are critical for manipulating trapped atoms and ions.Despite the existence of various aberration compensation techniques, obtaining such high-quality focused spots remains challenging for far-detuned laser systems.Here, we demonstrate a universal in-situ aberration correction technique for far-detuned-laser-based individual addressing systems.Our approach utilizes a trapped ion as a probe and a spatial light modulator for optical aberration compensation, demonstrating 17-fold suppression of crosstalk and achieving a low Rabi crosstalk of 0.031(4)%, nearly a four-fold improvement over previous state-of-the-art results.This method establishes an effective tool for high-fidelity quantum operations in trapped ion and atom systems, pivotal for quantum computing.
Trapped ions provide a high-fidelity platform for quantum information processing, yet delivery of multiple, distinct wavelengths across large networks of interaction zones remains a bottleneck. Conventional free-space light delivery lacks scalability, while on-chip grating couplers suffer from narrow operational bandwidth that increases circuit footprint and optical interfacing complexity. Here we show a broadband photonic integrated circuit capable of addressing individual ions. The circuit combines a planar waveguide lens with a micromirror fabricated using two-photon polymerization at wafer scale. This implementation can address three individual ions from λλλ = 405 - 880 nm with -27 dB average intensity crosstalk at 5 μm5\,μ\mathrm{m}5μm pitch. We trap 40Ca+^{40}\mathrm{Ca}^{+}40Ca+ and 138Ba+^{138}\mathrm{Ba}^{+}138Ba+ ions above such devices, characterize optical crosstalk with barium ions, and demonstrate individual repumping of calcium ions. This monolithic photonic architecture brings broadband addressing in an on-chip modality to trapped-ion technology. More generally, integrating additive manufacturing into quantum devices is poised to unlock expanded design space for implementing novel quantum architectures.
A guided light system for agile individual addressing of Ba+^++ qubits with 10−410^{-4}10−4 level intensity crosstalk
Trapped ions are one of the leading platforms for quantum information processing, exhibiting the highest gate and measurement fidelities of all contending hardware. In order to realize a universal quantum computer with trapped ions, independent and parallel control over the state of each qubit is necessary. The manipulation of individual qubit states in an ion chain via stimulated Raman transitions generally requires light focused on individual ions. In this manuscript, we present a novel, guided-light individual addressing system for hyperfine Ba+^++ qubits. The system takes advantage of laser-written waveguide technology, enabled by the atomic structure of Ba+^++, allowing the use of visible light to drive Raman transitions. Such waveguides define the spatial mode of light, suppressing aberrations that would have otherwise accumulated in a free-space optics set up. As a result, we demonstrate a nearest neighbour relative intensity crosstalk on the order of 10−4^{-4}−4, without any active aberration compensation. This is comparable to or better than other previous demonstrations of individual addressing. At the same time, our modular approach provides independent and agile control over the amplitude, frequency, and phase of each channel; combining the strengths of previous implementations.