Coherent Diabatic Ion Transport and Separation in a Multi-Zone Trap Array

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates fast, coherent ion transport and separation in a multi-zone trap, achieving near-ground-state motional control within microseconds, which is promising for scalable quantum computing architectures.

Contribution

It introduces a method for rapid, coherent ion transport and separation in a multi-zone trap with minimal motional excitation, advancing quantum information processing capabilities.

Findings

Transport of a single ion over 370 micrometers in 8 microseconds with minimal excitation.

Separation of up to 9 ions into distinct wells in 55 microseconds with controlled motional states.

Achievement of near-ground-state motional control during and after transport and separation.

Abstract

We investigate the motional dynamics of single and multiple ions during transport between and separation into spatially distinct locations in a multi-zone linear Paul trap. A single 9Be+ ion in a 2 MHz harmonic well located in one zone was laser-cooled to near its ground state of motion and transported 370 micrometers by moving the well to another zone. This was accomplished in 8 microseconds, corresponding to 16 periods of oscillation. Starting from a state with n=0.1 quanta, during transport the ion was excited to a displaced coherent state with n=1.6 quanta but on completion was returned close to its motional ground state with n=0.2. Similar results were achieved for the transport of two ions. We also separated chains of up to 9 ions from one potential well to two distinct potential wells. With two ions this was accomplished in 55 microseconds, with final excitations of about 2 quanta for each ion. Fast coherent transport and separation can significantly reduce the time overhead in certain architectures for scalable quantum information processing with trapped ions.