DOE OSTI · 3376351
Integrated-photonics-based systems for polarization-gradient cooling of trapped ions
Abstract
Trapped ions are a promising modality for quantum systems, with demonstrated utility as the basis for quantum processors and optical clocks. However, traditional trapped-ion systems are implemented using complex free-space optical configurations, whose large size and susceptibility to vibrations and drift inhibit scaling to large numbers of qubits. In recent years, integrated-photonics-based systems have been demonstrated as an avenue to address the challenge of scaling trapped-ion systems while maintaining high fidelities. While these previous demonstrations have implemented both Doppler and resolved-sideband cooling of trapped ions, these cooling techniques are fundamentally limited in efficiency. In contrast, polarization-gradient cooling can enable faster and more power-efficient cooling and, therefore, improved computational efficiencies in trapped-ion systems. While free-space implementations of polarization-gradient cooling have demonstrated advantages over other cooling mechanisms, polarization-gradient cooling has never previously been implemented using integrated photonics. In this paper, we design and experimentally demonstrate key polarization-diverse integrated-photonics devices and utilize them to implement a variety of integrated-photonics-based polarization-gradient-cooling systems, culminating in the first experimental demonstration of polarization-gradient cooling of a trapped ion by an integrated-photonics-based system. By demonstrating polarization-gradient cooling using an integrated-photonics-based system and, in general, opening up the field of polarization-diverse integrated-photonics-based devices and systems for trapped ions, this work facilitates new capabilities for integrated-photonics-based trapped-ion platforms.
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Corsetti, Sabrina M. [Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000322162492), Hattori, Ashton [Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)], Clements, Ethan R. [Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)], Knollmann, Felix W. [Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)] (ORCID:0009000283608793), Notaros, Milica [Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)], Swint, Reuel [Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)], Sneh, Tal [Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000213871257), Callahan, Patrick T. [Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)] (ORCID:0009000541926453), West, Gavin N. [Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)], Kharas, Dave [Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000176358234), Mahony, Thomas [Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)], Bruzewicz, Colin D. [Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)], Sorace-Agaskar, Cheryl [Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000218932872), McConnell, Robert [Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)] (ORCID:0009000101839276), Chuang, Isaac L. [Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)], Chiaverini, John [Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000171238460), Notaros, Jelena [Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000272130176). 2026-01-15. Integrated-photonics-based systems for polarization-gradient cooling of trapped ions. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-025-02094-4
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