Patent AU-2020277183-A1 (AU)
Title: Apparatuses, systems, and methods for ion traps
Inventor: MAKOTYN PHILIP
IPC: H01J3/38
Filed: 2020-11-25
Abstract: CLAIMS 
That which is claimed: 
1. An ion trap apparatus comprising: 
two or more radio frequency (RF) rails formed with substantially parallel longitudinal 
axes and with substantially coplanar upper surfaces; and 
two or more sequences of trapping and/or transport (TT) electrodes with each sequence 
formed to extend substantially parallel to the substantially parallel longitudinal axes of the RF 
rails, the two or more RF rails and the two or more sequences of TT electrodes defining an ion 
trap, wherein the two or more sequences of TT electrodes are arranged into a number of zones, 
each zone comprising wide matched groups of TT electrodes and at least one narrow matched 
group of TT electrodes, wherein a wide TT electrode of one of the wide matched groups of TT 
electrodes is wider in a direction substantially parallel to the substantially parallel longitudinal 
axes of the two or more RF rails than a narrow TT electrode of the at least one narrow matched 
group of TT electrodes.  
2. The ion trap apparatus of claim 1, wherein each wide TT electrode of the wide matched 
groups of TT electrodes is at least approximately twice as wide as a narrow TT electrode of the 
at least one narrow matched group of TT electrodes in the direction substantially parallel to the 
substantially parallel longitudinal axes of the two or more RF rails.  
3. The ion trap apparatus of claim 1, wherein (a) the number of zones comprises at least one 
action zone and at least one intermediary zone, (b) the at least one action zone is configured for 
an action to be performed on at least one ion within the at least one action zone, and (c) the at 
least one intermediary zone is configured for stabilizing the at least one ion within the 
intermediary zone during a transport operation of the at least one ion.
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4. The ion trap apparatus of claim 3, wherein the at least one action comprises at least one 
of (a) interacting at least two ions within the ion trap or (b) acting on at least one ion within the 
ion trap with a manipulation source.  
5. The ion trap apparatus of claim 4, wherein the manipulation source is one of at least one 
laser beam or at least one microwave field.  
6. The ion trap apparatus of claim 3, wherein the at least one action zone is configured to 
have a quantum logic gate performed on an ion within the at least one action zone.  
7. The ion trap apparatus of claim 3, wherein the at least one action zone comprises three 
narrow matched groups of TT electrodes disposed between two wide matched groups of TT 
electrodes.  
8. The ion trap apparatus of claim 3, wherein the at least one action zone comprises a 
plurality of narrow matched groups of TT electrodes that are configured to generate an electrical 
potential that may be adjusted from a single well potential to a multiple well potential within the 
at least one action zone.  
9. The ion trap apparatus of claim 3, wherein the at least one intermediary zone comprises 
one narrow matched group of TT electrodes disposed between two wide matched groups of TT 
electrodes.
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10. The ion trap apparatus of claim 3, wherein the at least one action zone comprises at least 
two action zones and the at least one intermediary zone is disposed between the at least two 
action zones.  
11. The ion trap apparatus of claim 3, wherein the plurality of zones comprises at least one 
storage zone.  
12. The ion trap apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one storage zone comprises at 
least three narrow matched groups of TT electrodes.  
13. The ion trap apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a loading zone configured for 
loading ions or atoms into the ion trap.  
14. The ion trap apparatus of claim 1, wherein (a) the two or more RF rails are disposed 
between a first and third sequence of TT electrodes, (b) the two or more RF rails form at least 
one longitudinal gap, and (c) a second sequence of TT electrodes is disposed within the 
longitudinal gap.  
15. The ion trap apparatus of claim 1, wherein the two or more sequences of TT electrodes 
are configured to be operated so as to cause an ion within the ion trap to be transported along at 
least a portion of a confinement region, the confinement region extending substantially parallel 
to the substantially parallel longitudinal axes of the two or more RF rails.
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16. The ion trap apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of TT leads, each TT 
lead being in electrical communication with only one TT electrode of the two or more sequences 
of TT electrodes.  
17. The ion trap apparatus of claim 1, wherein each TT electrode of the two or more 
sequences of TT electrodes is operated independently.  
18. The ion trap apparatus of claim 1, wherein each TT electrode of the two or more 
sequences of TT electrodes is configured to be biased with a TT voltage in the range of 
approximately -20 Volts to +20 Volts.  
19. The ion trap apparatus of claim 1, wherein the ion trap apparatus is part of a trapped ion 
quantum computer.  
20. An ion trap apparatus comprising: 
two or more radio frequency (RF) rails formed with substantially parallel longitudinal 
axes;and 
two or more sequences of trapping and/or transport (TT) electrodes with each sequence 
formed to extend substantially parallel to the substantially parallel longitudinal axes of the RF 
rails, the two or more RF rails and the two or more sequences of TT electrodes defining an ion 
trap, wherein the two or more sequences of TT electrodes are arranged into a plurality of zones, 
wherein (a) the plurality of zones comprises at least one action zone and at least one intermediary 
zone, (b) the at least one action zone is configured for an action to be performed on at least one 
ion within the at least one action zone, and (c) the at least one intermediary zone is configured 
for stabilizing the at least one ion within the intermediary zone during a transport operation of 
the at least one ion.