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Quantum Nanophotonic Materials, Devices, and Systems

Integrated photonics for trapped ion quantum information experiments at Sandia National Laboratories

Hayden McGuinness, Michael R. Gehl, Craig Hogle, William Setzer, Nickolas Karl, Nicholas Jaber, Justin T. Schultz, Joonhyuk Kwon, Megan Ivory, Rex Kay, Danield Dominguez, Douglas C. Trotter, Matt Eichenfield, Daniel Stick

Published Oct 4, 2022• 4 citations
Publisher

Abstract

As trapped ion systems add more ions to allow for increasingly sophisticated quantum processing and sensing capabilities, the traditional optical-mechanical laboratory infrastructure that make such systems possible are in some cases the limiting factor in further growth of the systems. One promising solution is to integrate as many, if not all, optical components such as waveguides and gratings, single-photon detectors, and high extinction ratio optical switches/modulators either into ion traps themselves or into auxiliary devices that can be easily integrated with ion traps. Here we report on recent efforts at Sandia National Laboratories to include integrated photonics in our surface ion trap platforms.

DOI
10.1117/12.2636695

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Trapped-ion quantum computers, leveraging a quantum charge-coupled device (QCCD) architecture, have world-class performance in the field of quantum computing, offering high fidelities and all-to-all connectivity [1]. While systems have advanced over the last decade, much work remains to scale quantum computers to fault-tolerance. Providing scalable light delivery is one key challenge. Current systems utilize engineered bulk- and fiber-optic-based light delivery systems, external to the vacuum chamber, to deliver arrays of beams to ions. However, fundamental optical limitations preclude the use of such systems when scaling beyond thousands of qubits. Integrated photonic-based beam delivery offers a potential solution, with encouraging proof-of-concept demonstrations from the photonics and quantum communities [2]–[5]. Quantinuum and Sandia National Labs have partnered to accelerate the development of integrated photonics for trapped-ion quantum computing applications, working towards photonic components supporting high-fidelity operations. Here, we present development of photonic integrated components designed to deliver laser light toBa+\text{Ba}^{+}Ba+qubits, utilizing a low-loss, high-confinement, trap-integrable PECVD SiN platform. In order to demonstrate two-qubit gates at 532 nm, we developed low loss, tight bend waveguides, efficient edge couplers, and asymmetric multimode interference (MMI) splitters, along with beam-forming grating out-couplers delivering gaussian beams at the ion plane. For quantum state preparation and measurement (SPAM) applications at4 9 3   n m\text{4 9 3 ~ n m}4 9 3   n m, we demonstrate fabrication-tolerant splitters and low-crosstalk gratings. Measured component performance shows promise for future trap-integrated demonstrations.
Ion traps are a promising platform for the realisation of high-performance quantum computers. To enable the future scalability of these systems, integrated photonic solutions for guiding and manipulating the laser light at chip level are a major step. Such passive optical components offer the great advantage of providing beam radii in the μm range at the location of the ions without increasing the number of bulk optics. Different wavelengths, from UV to NIR, as well as laser beam properties, such as angle or polarisation, are required for different cooling and readout processes of ions. We present simulation results for different optical photonic components, such as grating outcouplers or waveguide splitters and their applications on ion trap chips. Furthermore, we will introduce the experimental setup for the optical characterisation of the fabricated structures.
Trapped atomic ions are natural candidates for quantum information processing and have the potential to realize or improve quantum computing, sensing, and networking. These applications often require the collection of individual photons emitted from ions into guided optical modes, in some cases for the production of entanglement between separated ions. Proof-of-principle demonstrations of such photon collection from trapped ions have been performed using high-numerical-aperture lenses or cavities and single-mode fibers, but integrated photonic elements in ion-trap structures offer advantages in scalability and manufacturability over traditional optics. In this paper we analyze structures monolithically fabricated with an ion trap for collecting ion-emitted photons, coupling them into waveguides, and manipulating them via interference. We calculate geometric limitations on collection efficiency for this scheme, simulate a single-layer grating that shows performance comparable to demonstrated free-space optics, and discuss practical fabrication and fidelity considerations. Based on this analysis, we conclude that integrated photonics can support scalable systems of trapped ions that can distribute quantum information via photon-mediated entanglement.