# Distance scaling and polarization of electric-field noise in a surface ion trap

## TL;DR

This study investigates electric-field noise in a surface ion trap, revealing a specific distance and frequency dependence, and suggests that the noise originates from surface patch potentials rather than technical sources.

## Contribution

The paper provides detailed measurements of electric-field noise scaling with distance and frequency, supported by simulations indicating surface patch potentials as the noise source.

## Key findings

- Noise scales as d^{-2.6} with distance
- Frequency dependence is consistent with 1/f noise
- Surface patch potentials of about 100 μm size are implicated

## Abstract

We probe electric-field noise in a surface ion trap for ion-surface distances $d$ between 50 and 300 $\mu\mathrm{m}$ in the normal and planar directions. We find the noise distance dependence to scale as $d^{-2.6}$ in our trap and a frequency dependence which is consistent with $1/f$ noise. Simulations of the electric-field noise specific to our trap geometry provide evidence that we are not limited by technical noise sources. Our distance scaling data is consistent with a noise correlation length of about 100 $\mu\mathrm{m}$ at the trap surface, and we discuss how patch potentials of this size would be modified by the electrode geometry.