An Accessible Planar Charged Particle Trap for Experiential Learning in Quantum Technologies

TL;DR

This paper presents an affordable, easy-to-assemble planar ion trap setup using printed circuit boards, enabling students to learn about charged particle trapping, manipulation, and analysis through hands-on experiments and computer vision tools.

Contribution

It introduces a novel, accessible educational platform for demonstrating particle trapping physics with macroscopic particles in air, combining hardware, software, and analytic models.

Findings

Students can successfully trap and manipulate particles.

The setup allows comparison with analytic models.

Enhanced understanding of trap physics and data analysis methods.

Abstract

We describe an inexpensive and accessible instructional setup that explores particle trapping with a planar linear ion trap. The planar trap is constructed using standard printed circuit board manufacturing and is designed to trap macroscopic charged particles in air. Trapping, shuttling, and splitting are demonstrated to students using these particles, which are visible to the naked eye. Students control trap voltages and can compare properties of particle motion with an analytic model of the trap using a computer vision program for particle tracking. Learning outcomes include understanding the design considerations for planar AC traps, mechanisms underpinning particle ejection, the physics of micromotion, and methods of data analysis using standard computer vision libraries.