Design and Characterization of Compact Acousto-Optic-Deflector Individual Addressing System for Trapped-Ion Quantum Computing

TL;DR

This paper introduces a compact acousto-optic-deflector system for precise individual ion addressing in quantum computing, achieving high stability, fast switching, and low crosstalk in a small footprint.

Contribution

The work presents a novel, miniaturized AOD-based beam-steering system optimized for stability and speed, enabling scalable trapped-ion quantum computing.

Findings

Achieved a beam steering range of ~50 times the beam diameter.

Demonstrated individual addressing of a 30-ion chain.

Estimated beam switching time of ~240 ns.

Abstract

We present a compact design for a beam-steering system based on acousto-optic-deflectors (AODs) used as an individual addressing system for trapped-ion quantum computing. The design targets to minimize the optomechanical degrees of freedom and the optical beam paths to improve optical stability, and we successfully implemented a solution with a compact footprint of less than 1 square foot. The system characterization results show that we achieve clean Gaussian beams at 355nm wavelength with a beam steering range of $\sim$50 times the beam diameter, and an intensity crosstalk of $< 9 \times 10^{-4}$ at all neighboring ions in a five-ion chain. Based on these capabilities, we experimentally demonstrate individual addressing of a 30-ion chain. We estimate the beam switching time of the AOD to be $\sim$240 ns. The compact system design is expected to provide high optical stability, providing the potential for high-fidelity trapped-ion quantum computing with long ion chains.