88Sr+ ion trap apparatus for generating 408 nm photons

TL;DR

This paper presents a sophisticated 88Sr+ ion trap system capable of generating high-quality 408 nm photons, advancing quantum computing and networking by enabling precise photon production from trapped ions.

Contribution

The paper introduces a novel 88Sr+ ion trap apparatus with a custom 408 nm laser system for efficient single-photon generation in quantum applications.

Findings

Successful production of single photons from 1 to 6 ions

High-fidelity state preparation and readout achieved

Photon pulses of 150 ps duration generated

Abstract

We describe a 88Sr+ ion trap apparatus with the capability to produce high-quality 408 nm photons aimed at distributed quantum computing and networking applications. This instrument confines ion chains using a surface electrode trap with a two-dimensional magneto-optical trap as an atomic source. Several laser systems spanning 400-1100 nm are used to achieve high fidelity state preparation and readout. Photons are produced via the decay of an exited state, which is accessed using a custom 408 nm laser system that produces 150 ps optical pulses using non-linear photonics. We demonstrate single photon production through a Hanbury Brown-Twiss measurement for one to six ions.