Optimization of parameters of a surface-electrode ion trap and experimental study of influences of surface on ion lifetime

• Published in: Science China. Physics, mechanics & astronomy Vol. 59; no. 12; pp. 123011 - 7
• Main Authors: Ou, BaoQuan, Zhang, Jie, Zhang, XinFang, Xie, Yi, Chen, Ting, Wu, ChunWang, Wu, Wei, Chen, PingXing
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Beijing Science China Press 01.12.2016; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Astronomy; Classical and Continuum Physics; Electrodes; Fabrication; Flexibility; Heating rate; Ions; Microprocessors; Observations and Techniques; Optimization; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Quantum phenomena; Silica; Simulation; Strings; Trapping; ion string; ion trap; surface-electrode trap; quantum information processor; quantum simulator; ion transportation
• ISSN: 1674-7348; 1869-1927
• DOI: 10.1007/s11433-016-0345-5

In this paper we report the optimal design and fabrication of a gold-on-silica linear segmented surface-electrode ion trap. By optimizing the thickness and width of the electrodes, we improved the trapping ability and trap scalability. By using some practical experimental operation methods, we successfully minimized the trap heating rate. Consequently, we could trap a string of up to 38 ions, and a zigzag structure with 24 ions, and transport two trapped ions to different zones. We also studied the influences of the ion chip surface on the ion lifetime. The excellent trapping ability and flexibility of operation of the planar ion trap shows that it has high feasibility for application in the development a practical quantum information processor or quantum simulator.