Chiplet technology for large-scale trapped-ion quantum processors

TL;DR

This paper proposes a modular chiplet-based approach for large-scale trapped-ion quantum processors, enabling flexible material choices and cost-effective upgrades, demonstrated with an integrated ion addressing system for ten ions.

Contribution

It introduces a novel modular chiplet architecture for trapped-ion quantum processors, allowing independent fabrication and integration of components for improved scalability and functionality.

Findings

Demonstrated a chiplet-based ion addressing system for ten ions.

Showcased integration of ion traps, waveguides, and micro-optics.

Highlighted the modularity and flexibility of the approach.

Abstract

Trapped ions are among the most promising platforms for realizing a large-scale quantum information processor. Current progress focuses on integrating optical and electronic components into microfabricated ion traps to allow scaling to large numbers of ion qubits. Most available fabrication strategies for such integrated processors employ monolithic integration of all processor components and rely heavily on CMOS-compatible semiconductor fabrication technologies that are not optimized for the requirements of a trapped-ion quantum processor. In this work, we present a modular approach in which the processor modules, called chiplets, have specific functions and are fabricated separately. The individual chiplets are then combined using heterogeneous integration techniques. This strategy opens up the possibility of choosing the optimal materials and fabrication technology for each of the chiplets, with a minimum amount of fabrication limitations compared to the monolithic approach. Chiplet technology furthermore enables novel processor functionalities to be added in a cost-effective, modular fashion by adding or modifying only a subset of the chiplets. We describe the design concept of a chiplet-based trapped-ion quantum processor and demonstrate the technology with an example of an integrated individual-ion addressing system for a ten-ion crystal. The addressing system emphasizes the modularity of the chiplet approach, combining a surface ion trap manufactured on a glass substrate with a silicon substrate carrying integrated waveguides and a stack of 3D-printed micro-optics, achieving diffraction-limited focal spots at the ion positions.