NSF Award
2444386
Trapped ions constitute a leading approach to quantum computing and simulation, owing to their high coherence, operation fidelities, and connectivity. While the complexity of classical electrical control required is comparable to other architectures, efficient modulation and delivery of laser light presents a major bottleneck for scaling beyond a few tens of qubits, especially considering the visible/UV wavelengths required for most species which preclude use of scalable optical modulators which have been developed primarily in the infrared. Passive visible/UV addressing photonics integrated within trap structures are being pursued by multiple efforts in the field to address the beam delivery/routing problem, but reliance on bulk optical modulators external to the trap device coupled to the quantum system via separate fiber inputs will limit the number of parallel modulated channels to a few tens. Our project aims to address this challenge by moving light modulation and routing into integrated photonics devices, enabling small footprints, and low power consumption to open a pathway to future co-integration with the waveguide-driven ion trap chips. <br/><br/>This project will assess two complementary routes to integrated modulation at VIS and UV wavelengths, based on both acousto- and electro-optics. This collaborative program leverages expertise in photonic materials and devices, ultra-sensitive measurements using ions, as well as relevant fabrication facilities at Cornell (COR) and the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI). The project explores a novel device architecture for integrated acousto-optic modulators at UV and some VIS wavelengths leveraging high-index photonic materials at short wavelengths integrated with surface-acoustic-wave transducers and guiding structures, which will be pursued in theory and experiment. In parallel, the project leverages mature foundry platforms to develop and validate high-extinction visible-wavelength electro-optic modulator arrays. The work will also generate critical data, e.g. on photo-refractive damage in lithium niobate, and limits to extinction ratios and stability in short-wavelength electro-optic devices. The project involves characterization and performance comparison of the two approaches, and on application of the modulators developed in experiments for trapped-ion quantum control, which serve as ultimate performance benchmark, at both COR and PSI. Together, this work carries relevance to a wide range of applications beyond trapped ion quantum computing, such as atomic clocks, Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR), and the life sciences. <br/><br/>This collaborative U.S.-Swiss project is supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), where NSF funds the U.S. investigator and SNSF funds the partners in Switzerland.<br/><br/>This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
