UK Researchers Devise First Scalable 3D Ion Microtrap

By Will SoutterJul 26 2012

Researchers at UK’s National Physical Laboratory (NPL) have devised the first three-dimensional ion microtrap that is scalable to handle many tens of ions serving as quantum bits (qubits).

The NPL originally carried out research to use unique quantum states of matter in making high precision measurements such as of frequency and time. The scope of the new device extends beyond such measurements as the ability to trap ions at the nanoscale could have huge implication on quantum computation which employs qubits to compute powerful algorithms.

Two-dimensional array of electrodes have previously been functioning as ion traps. However, three-dimensional traps offer better capability to confine ions. The quality of a scalable ion trapping device is determined by two factors, namely, scaling the device in order to contain rising number of atomic particles and retaining the trapping capability irrespective of the order of scaling. Earlier attempts at fabricating a device scoring high on both factors have failed owing to manufacturing constraints. The researchers at NPL adopted an innovative technique based on traditional semiconductor fabrication to develop the three-dimensional microtrap from a silica-on-silicon wafer. The team demonstrated the ability of the device to trap up to 14 ions as individuals or strings within a single segment of the array. Alastair Sinclair, Principal Scientist at NPL stated that the device could form the basis for a future atomic clock or quantum processor chip working on trapped ions.