Imaging of trapped ions with a microfabricated optic for quantum information processing

Area of Science:

• Quantum Information Processing
• Optics and Photonics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Trapped ions are a leading platform for quantum information processing (QIP).
• A critical challenge for large-scale trapped-ion QIP is the development of a massively parallel ion-photon interconnect.
• Microfabricated phase Fresnel lenses (PFLs) offer a promising solution for integrating optical interconnects with ion trap arrays.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate the first in-vacuum imaging of trapped ions using a microfabricated phase Fresnel lens (PFL).
• To assess the performance of PFLs for scalable quantum information processing applications.
• To present an integrated solution for high-efficiency optical coupling in various quantum computing architectures.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of microscale phase Fresnel lenses (PFLs).
• Integration of PFLs with an in-vacuum ion trap system.
• Imaging of single trapped ions using the PFL-based optical system.
• Characterization of fluorescence collection efficiency, depth of focus, and field of view.

Main Results:

• Successful demonstration of in-vacuum imaging of trapped ions with a microfabricated PFL.
• Achieved a single ion fluorescence collection efficiency of 4.2±1.5%.
• Measured a depth of focus of 19.4±2.4 μm and a field of view of 140±20 μm, suitable for scalable QIP.

Conclusions:

• Microfabricated PFLs are a viable technology for enabling efficient ion-photon interconnects in trapped-ion quantum computing.
• The demonstrated imaging performance meets the requirements for scalable quantum information processing.
• This approach offers a versatile solution for high-efficiency optical coupling applicable to neutral atom and solid-state QIP systems as well.