Cornell Chip-Based Laser Cooling Brings Trapped Calcium Ions Near Ground State in 150 Microseconds
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- InterestingEngineering.com
Cornell University researchers developed a chip-based laser-cooling technique that brought a trapped calcium ion close to its quantum ground state in 150 microseconds. That is faster than the approximately 500 microseconds required by a conventional laser arrangement. The method simultaneously cooled three motional modes across an approximately 5 MHz frequency range. The study was led by Karan Mehta, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at Cornell’s Duffield College of Engineering.
Trapped-ion quantum computers use electrically charged atoms held in electromagnetic fields to store and process quantum information. Unwanted atomic motion can interfere with operations, so lasers are used repeatedly to cool ions toward their lowest energy state. These procedures can consume a substantial share of operating time. Mehta said cooling to the quantum ground state has become a major bottleneck in leading trapped-ion systems. The Cornell approach delivers controlled laser light through integrated optical components on a microfabricated ion-trap chip, potentially improving cooling operations as researchers work to build larger quantum computers.
The team used two laser beams directed in opposite directions to form a standing wave, then positioned the calcium ion at a low-intensity node to suppress light interactions that can heat it during cooling. The reported result demonstrates the technique’s performance in the experiment; broader deployment in larger trapped-ion systems was not disclosed. The approximately 5 MHz operating range and simultaneous cooling of three motional modes are specific capabilities to monitor as the approach is assessed for larger systems.
Original report
Chip-based laser cooling brings trapped ions near ground state in 150 microseconds
InterestingEngineering.com · Neetika WalterThis briefing is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting and is provided for industry information and news discovery. The original report and source publication are credited and linked where applicable. RobotToday does not claim ownership of third-party source material.
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