Extreme-Performance Ion trap-Cavity System (EPICS) for Qubit State Detection with Ultimate Performance
Abstract
The overall objective of the proposed research is to explore and develop a photon collection and detection approach which will improve the speed and fidelity of qubit measurements in trapped ion systems by one and two orders of magnitude respectively. Specific objectives include exploration of high efficiency superconducting nanowire single photon detectors (SNSPD), optical cavities for increased photon collection, transparent trap substrates, and integration in a cryogenic environment. The overall proposed approach will explore innovative solutions to improve trapped ion qubit detection performance. In particular, cavity QED physics will be used improve the strength of the ion-photon interaction and a near quantum limited detector developed at NIST/JPL will be integrated with the cavity trap in a low-temperature environment. This integrated cavity-trap-detector system will replace the vacuum chamber, imaging lens, photon detector, and the RF helical resonator typical in trapped-ion systems with a single cryostat system. Specifically, the proposed research will perform experiments in an ion trap system, termed an Extreme Performance Ion trap-Cavity System (EPICS), with the focus to strengthen the interaction between ion qubits and probe fields over that enabled by free-space scattering alone. A basic element of this ion trap-cavity system is a surface trap fabricated on a transparent substrate with a high-reflection mirror coating on the top. The cavity is formed between a small opening in the trap surface and a concave mirror. The ion-photon coupling in this system can be maximized and an exclusive interaction obtained between the probe beam and the ion of choice, even if there are other ions nearby. Light transmitted out of this cavity can be collected using a multi-mode optical fiber or a photon detector. This configuration provides advantages over systems where a photon detector is directly integrated on the trap surface without a cavity mode. In the proposed approach, the photons are detected within a small area and the residual scatter of the pump beam into the detector can be suppressed. Another innovation proposed is to develop single photon detectors with near-unity detection efficiency in the UV wavelength range using superconducting nanowire (SNSPD) technology. The collected photons will be directed to the detectors through multi-mode fibers. Finally, experiments will be performed to test the feasibility of monolithic integration of the SNSPDs with the surface trap used in the EPICS.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jan 12, 2017
- Source ID
- W911NF1510213
Entities
People
- Jungsang Kim
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- Duke University
- National Security Agency