Autonomous multi-ion optical clock with on-chip integrated photonic light delivery

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates an autonomous, portable optical clock using integrated photonics and a multi-ion trap, achieving high stability and continuous operation, advancing scalable quantum sensing and computing.

Contribution

It introduces a fully integrated, autonomous optical clock with on-chip light delivery and automated ion management, enabling robust and portable quantum systems.

Findings

Achieved a short-term frequency instability of 3.14(5)×10^{-14}/√τ.

Demonstrated sustained autonomous operation with automated ion shuttling and reloading.

Showcased system resilience and potential for portable quantum sensors.

Abstract

Integrated photonics in trapped-ion systems are critical for the realization of applications such as portable optical atomic clocks and scalable quantum computers. However, system-level integration of all required functionalities remains a key challenge. In this work, we demonstrate an autonomously operating optical clock having a short-term frequency instability of $3.14(5)\times 10^{-14} / \sqrt{\tau}$ using an ensemble of four $^{171}\textrm{Yb}^{+}$ ions trapped in a multi-site surface-electrode trap at room temperature. All clock operations are performed with light delivered via on-chip waveguides. We showcase the system's resilience through sustained, autonomous operation featuring automated ion shuttling and reloading to mitigate ion loss during interleaved clock measurements. This work paves the way beyond component-level functionality to establish a viable and robust architecture for the next generation of portable, multi-ion quantum sensors and computers.