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SPIE Quantum Information Science, Sensing, and Computation

Addressing trapped ions with semiconductor optical waveguides

Clayton L. Craft, Paul M. Alsing, Nicholas J. Barton, Andrew Brownell, Venkatesh Deenadayalan, Mike L. Fanto, Gregory A. Howland, David Hucul, Andrew Klug, Michael Macalik, Evan Manfreda-Schulz, Garrett Percevault, Nikola L. Porto, Stefan F. Preble, Anthony J. Rizzo, Kenneth Scalzi, James Schneeloch, Erin Sheridan, Vijay Soorya Shunmuga Sundaram, A. Matthew Smith, Zachary S. Smith, Christopher C. Tison, Kathy-Anne Soderberg

Published Jun 7, 2024• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Quantum computing (QC) is theorized to solve certain important problems much faster than classical computers. The current state of QC, the noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) era, is limited in the scope of problems it can solve, largely due to the quantity of reliable qubits available to universal quantum operations. And while all available quantum computing systems have their advantages, ion-based systems have been shown to be a reliable option with low infidelity and a capability for universal gating procedure. These advantages are dependent on achieving low crosstalk when addressing ions, a vital challenge for this QC system, particularly when using only bulk optic systems. Here we show a microfabricated planar waveguide which can selectively interact in free space with 8 trapped Ba+ ions. This performance meets or exceeds that of similar waveguides couple to trapped ion systems and shows a reliable method to selectively interact with ions bound by a Paul Trap using imaged waveguide outputs.

DOI
10.1117/12.3019187

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Quantum computing (QC) is theorized to solve certain important problems much faster than classical computers. The current state of QC, the noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) era, is limited in the scope of problems it can solve, largely due to the quantity of reliable qubits available to universal quantum operations. And while all available quantum computing systems have their advantages, ion-based systems have been shown to be a reliable option with low infidelity and a capability for universal gating procedure. These advantages are dependent on achieving low crosstalk when addressing ions, a vital challenge for this QC system, particularly when using only bulk optic systems. Here we show a microfabricated planar waveguide which can selectively interact in free space with 8 trapped Ba+ ions. This performance meets or exceeds that of similar waveguides couple to trapped ion systems and shows a reliable method to selectively interact with ions bound by a Paul Trap using imaged waveguide outputs.
Most trapped-ion quantum computers confine ions using precise voltages applied to electrodes and manipulate their internal states and execute quantum logic operations using focused laser beams. The prevailing approach to scaling these systems from current sizes that use tens of ions to ones with several orders of magnitude more ions relies on the lithographic fabrication of larger electrode arrays as well as on-chip integrated waveguides for delivering light to each individual ion. This approach solves the crosstalk problem that is inherent to free-space light delivery, but it does not address the input/output problem associated with coupling many optical signals to the on-chip waveguides. Here we describe an approach that uses CMOS-compatible optical modulators that can substantially address this challenge, and analyze its architectural implications.
Scalability is crucial for quantum computing to achieve high computing performance and ultimately true quantum advantage. Such a quantum computing platform requires elements to be replicated reliably within an extendable system framework. Photonic integrated circuits (PICs) allow the conversion of inputs in an accurate process due to the employment of lithographic production techniques. We present an addressing unit for ion-based quantum computing employing PICs that are arranged for multiple addressing zones inside a segmented ion-trap chip. The addressing unit is designed for individual and parallel addressing of single ions inside a chain of ten ions held by one trap segment. At PIC level, each addressing beam is realized with one waveguide channel and its mode field adapted to be optimal for imaging onto a trap segment. An additional imaging system in the same formfactor as the PIC, couples optically in free space from the waveguide channel to the individual ions. It is based on wafer-level microlenses combined in one stack and forms one unit with the PIC. Such a hardware-based capability eventually allows precise gate operations that are necessary for a universal quantum computer.
Reliable control of quantum information in matter-based qubits requires precisely applied external fields, and unaccounted-for spatial crosstalk of these fields between adjacent qubits leads to loss of fidelity. We report a CMOS foundry-produced microfabricated silicon nitride ( Si 3 N 4 ) optical waveguide for addressing a chain of eight unequally spaced trapped barium ions, with crosstalk compatible with scalable quantum information processing. The crosstalk-mitigation techniques incorporated into the chip design result in a reduction of the measured optical field by at least 50.8(1.3) dB between adjacent waveguide outputs near 650 nm and similar behavior for devices designed for 493 nm and 585 nm. The waveguide outputs near 650 nm, along with a global laser near 493 nm, have been used to laser cool a chain of eight 138 Ba + ions, and a camera has imaged the resulting fluorescence at 493 nm.
Trapped-ion qubits promise certain fundamental advantages for quantum information processing (QIP), owing to their indistinguishability and relatively high isolation from noisy environments. Though these qualities have allowed demonstrations of the necessary primitives for quantum computation, the complexity of the optical apparatus required is a major impediment to implementation at scales where quantum systems offer a clear advantage over classical computers. Here, we build on previous work with trap-integrated waveguide optics, describing designs and simulations for commercial foundry-fabricated ion trap chips with integrated Si3N4 waveguides and grating couplers to implement multi-qubit operations. We detail a design intended to address and implement quantum logic gates between 5 ions in a single register, and a configuration which utilizes the stable on-chip path lengths of waveguide devices to enact a novel fast entangling two-qubit gate. The devices and approaches presented here could form elements of a scalable architecture for trapped-ion QIP.
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.
The central challenge of quantum computing is implementing high-fidelity quantum gates at scale. However, many existing approaches to qubit control suffer from a scale-performance trade-off, impeding progress towards the creation of useful devices. Here, we present a vision for an electronically controlled trapped-ion quantum computer that alleviates this bottleneck. Our architecture utilizes shared current-carrying traces and local tuning electrodes in a microfabricated chip to perform quantum gates with low noise and crosstalk regardless of device size. To verify our approach, we experimentally demonstrate low-noise site-selective single- and two-qubit gates in a seven-zone ion trap. We implement electronic single-qubit gates with fidelities ≥ 99.99912 ( 8 ) % and demonstrate consistent performance with low crosstalk across the device. We also electronically generate two-qubit maximally entangled states with 99.97 ( 1 ) % fidelity and long-term stable performance over continuous system operation. These state-of-the-art results highlight the potential of our all-electronic approach for coherent control of trapped-ion qubits in large-scale quantum computers.