Integrated photonics and electronics for chip-scale quantum control of trapped ions
Jules Stuart, Research Assistant
MIT Lincoln Laboratory
Physics PhD candidate, 2021
Trapped atomic ions are promising candidates for quantum information processing and quantum sensing. Current state-of-the-art trapped-ion systems require many lasers and electronics to achieve precise timing and control over quantum states. Usually, electronic signals are sent into vacuum chambers via wire feedthroughs, and laser light is focused down to a trapped ion’s location with external lenses mounted outside of viewports on the chamber. These requirements lead to dense and complex setups that may be prone to drift and limit the amount of control that can be achieved.
In this presentation, Stuart will report on recent progress toward integrating control technology into the substrate of the ion trap itself. By using a planar trap design, which is compatible with lithographic fabrication, other well-developed processes may be implemented in order to enhance the function of the ion trap. In one experiment, researchers demonstrate an ion trap with integrated, CMOS-based high-voltage sources, which can be used to control the motional frequency and position of a trapped ion. In another demonstration, they use photonic waveguides and diffractive grating couplers to route light around a chip and focus it onto ions trapped above the surface.