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Published on: March 30, 2017
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Coupling Two Laser-Cooled Ions via a Room-Temperature Conductor.
Da An1, Alberto M Alonso1, Clemens Matthiesen1
1Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.
Physical Review Letters
|February 25, 2022
Summary
We show energy flow between two trapped ions separated by 620 micrometers using a metallic wire. This ion-wire-ion system enables tunable interactions for remote charge manipulation.
Area of Science:
- Quantum physics
- Atomic physics
- Materials science
Background:
- Trapped ions are essential for quantum computing and sensing.
- Mediating interactions between distant trapped ions is a significant challenge.
- Current methods often require cryogenic temperatures or free-space coupling.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate and characterize ion-ion coupling mediated by a room-temperature metallic wire.
- To explore the potential of this system for remote quantum operations.
- To investigate the influence of surface electric-field noise on quantum coherence.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing two independently trapped ions with a separation of 620 micrometers.
- Employing a room-temperature electrically floating metallic wire to connect the ion traps.
- Tuning the motional states of both ions into resonance to observe energy flow.
- Measuring the coupling rate and analyzing the impact of noise.
Main Results:
- Successfully demonstrated energy flow between the two trapped ions with a coupling rate of 11 Hz.
- The ion-wire-ion system facilitated enhanced ion-ion interaction at room temperature.
- Strong surface electric-field noise was identified as a limiting factor for quantum-coherent coupling.
Conclusions:
- Room-temperature conductors can mediate and tune interactions between independently trapped charges over extended distances.
- The demonstrated ion-wire-ion system offers a novel approach for sympathetic cooling and entanglement of remote ions.
- This technology has the potential to couple disparate physical systems, advancing quantum technologies.
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