Fast shuttling of ions in a scalable Penning trap array

Area of Science:

• Physics
• Quantum Information Science
• Electrical Engineering

Background:

• Penning ion traps are crucial for precision measurements and quantum technologies.
• Efficient ion transport between trapping zones is a key challenge in scalable quantum computing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and test a novel array of Penning ion traps fabricated using printed circuit board (PCB) technology.
• To investigate the feasibility of fast ion shuttling for quantum information processing applications.

Main Methods:

• Simulations were performed to optimize electrode potentials for ion shuttling.
• A preliminary experiment utilized laser-cooled calcium ions to demonstrate ion transport.
• The efficiency of round-trip ion shuttling was experimentally measured.

Main Results:

• The developed PCB-based Penning ion trap array facilitates rapid ion movement between trapping zones.
• Simulations identified optimal potentials for efficient ion shuttling.
• Preliminary experiments achieved a round-trip shuttling efficiency of up to 75% with laser-cooled calcium ions.

Conclusions:

• PCB fabrication offers a scalable and cost-effective approach for creating complex ion trap architectures.
• The demonstrated fast ion shuttling capability is a significant step towards modular quantum information processors.
• Further optimization could lead to higher efficiencies and integration into larger quantum systems.