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Experimental Methods for Trapping Ions Using Microfabricated Surface Ion Traps
Published on: August 17, 2017
Efficient fiber optic detection of trapped ion fluorescence
A P VanDevender1, Y Colombe, J Amini
1National Institute of Standards and Technology, Division 847.10, 325 Broadway Street, Boulder, Colorado 80305, USA. aaron.vandevender@nist.gov
Physical Review Letters
|September 28, 2010
Summary
Fiber optics enhance quantum information processors by improving light collection and delivery for trapped ions. This study demonstrates integrated fiber optics in a Paul trap for efficient photon detection, crucial for scalable quantum computing.
Area of Science:
- Quantum Information Science
- Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics
Background:
- Fiber optics are essential for scalable quantum information processors.
- Efficient light collection and delivery are critical for trapped ion systems.
- Coupling trapped ions to optical microcavities is a key challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate the integration of fiber optics in a surface-electrode Paul trap for trapped ion experiments.
- To enable scalable collection and delivery of light for quantum information processing.
- To facilitate the coupling of trapped ions to optical microcavities.
Main Methods:
- Trapping of 24Mg+ ions in a surface-electrode Paul trap.
- Integration of an optical fiber for detecting 280-nm fluorescence photons.
- Positioning of ions relative to the fiber tip using an adjustable rf pseudopotential.
Main Results:
- Achieved a collection numerical aperture of 0.37.
- Obtained a total collection efficiency of 2.1% for fluorescence photons.
- Demonstrated ion positioning between 80 and 100 μm from the fiber tip.
Conclusions:
- Integrated fiber optics are a viable technology for scalable quantum information processors.
- The demonstrated system enables efficient photon collection from trapped ions.
- This approach supports the development of advanced trapped ion quantum computing architectures.
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