Abstracts

SESSION ON COLD ATOMS

Mark Saffman (University of Wisconsin)

Title: “Neutral atom Rydberg gates: status and scalability”

Abstract: Recent progress in coherent excitation and dexcitation of neutral atom Rydberg states is presented. In light of previous observations of single qubit rotations and Rydberg atom interactions the demonstration of a conditional two-qubit Rydberg gate appears feasible. Experimental requirements and prospects for scaling the Rydberg interaction to a two-dimensional quantum gate array are discussed.

David Weiss (Penn State)

Title: "An approach to quantum computing using 3D arrays of single atoms" Abstract: I will describe experiments that have created and imaged 3D arrays of hundreds of single neutral atoms in an optical lattice. I will also briefly explain our plans for reliably filling all the vacancies in the lattice, and for implementing quantum gates in a site resolved way.

Brian Kennedy (Georgia Tech)

Title: "Atomic ensembles in quantum information" Abstract: We discuss the potential of cold atomic ensembles as memory elements in quantum information processing systems.

SESSION ON INTEGRATED ATOMIC SYSTEMS

Leo Hollberg (NIST, Boulder, CO)

Title: “Atoms and Lasers for Precision Measurements and Sensors”

Abstract: Atomic resonances provide exquisite quantum references for energy and frequency, and are used in the highest precision sensors and instrumentation. Well-known examples are the hyperfine splitting in Cs, H, and Rb that currently serve as the foundation of the world’s time scales, and principle references for synchronization of communication networks and navigation systems. Simple arguments show that by moving from microwave-based atomic standards to optical frequency references performance should improve by several orders of magnitude. Advances in the science and technology of laser cooling of atoms, frequency stabilized lasers, and femtosecond optical frequency combs now enable revolutionary advances in atomic clock performance. Atomic clocks are important and obvious applications of high-Q atomic resonances, but the same tools are also enabling new capabilities for atom inteferometry, cold collisions science, degenerate gases, searches for possible time variation of fundamental “constants”, and tests of Einstein’s relativity and symmetry postulates. They also provide some technological and measurements advances, such as sub-fs absolute timing jitter, ultra-precise timing, low phase-noise microwaves, and new capabilities for optical waveform generation. Not surprisingly, the highest performance systems are still relatively complex laboratory-scale experiments, but there are good prospects for smaller, transportable instruments that should perform at unprecedented levels.

Jungsang Kim (Duke University)

Title: “Integrated Optics Technology for Atomic Physics Experiments”

Abstract: Most atomic physics experiments today utilize laser beams as a tool to prepare, manipulate and probe the atomic system under study. As the ideas for integration of atoms in arrays of ion traps and optical lattices have widely been realized, the integration level of the optical system to manipulate the atoms at these densities become practical bottleneck in achieving either scalable systems or compact, portable systems. We discuss micro fabrication techniques and MEMS technologies that can be utilized to create integrated optical systems capable of providing flexible functionalities.

Kelvin Wagner and Sangtaek Kim (University of Colorado)

Title: "Acousto-optic devices for addressing atomic Qbits" Abstract: Rapid optical addressing of trapped atom arrays for QIP requires highly coherent laser pulses of specific wavelengths frequencies, and polarizations. We present acousto-optic devices custom designed to address trapped Rb atoms simultaneously with 2-colors (480nm and 780nm) and by cascading two devices the Doppler shift intrinsic to diffraction from a propagating acoustic wave is eliminated. Crossed devices allow the rapid addressing of 2-D arrays of as many as 100x100 atoms with nearly MHz speeds. Novel AO devices designed to address a single atom at a time, or to efficiently address arbitrary 1-D subarrays without Doppler shifts are presented.

John Kitching (NIST, Boulder, CO)

Title: “Microfabricated instruments based on room-temperature atomic vapors” Abstract: We discuss the design and fabrication of highly miniaturized precision instruments based on alkali atoms confined in micromachined vapor cells. Atomic clocks with instabilities in the range of 1e-11 have been demonstrated, as well as atomic magnetometers with sub-picoTesla sensitivity. These devices are anticipated to have a volume of about 1 cm3, run on a few tens of mW of electrical power; the physics packages are suitable for production in large numbers on the wafer scale. Ongoing work to develop high-performance gyroscopes based on similar designs will also be discussed.

John Howell (University of Rochester)

Title: "Applications of Slow and Stopped Light" Abstract: I will report of some of our recent efforts in slow and stopped light. Using slow light in hot atomic vapors, we have demonstrated reservation of the amplitude and phase of an image, preservation of entanglement of spontaneous parametric downconversion, and a compact Fourier transform interferometer. We have also observed multiple pulse delays in a hot alkali vapor usable for stopping light and have achieved over 1000 pulse delays.

SESSION ON TRAPPED IONS

Jason Amini (NIST, Boulder, CO)

Title: “Next Generation NIST Ion Traps for Quantum Information Processing”*

Abstract: I will be presenting an overview of the next generation multizone ion traps that we are developing and testing at NIST for quantum information processing. This will include the status of our multizone/multilayer microfabricated surface traps. I will also present two new heating measurement techniques. Using these techniques we have observed exceptionally low heating rates for our microfabricated gold-on-quartz traps. * Supported by IARPA

Richart Slusher (GTRI)

Title: “Silicon VLSI Fabricated Planar Ion Traps”*

Abstract: Planar ion trap arrays fabricated using silicon VLSI techniques will be described. The results of the first phase of this project include single ion trapping at both room and cryogenic temperatures. Next steps for scaling up to 10 to 50 ion arrays will be discussed as well as applications to quantum simulation, cluster states, logical qubits and quantum repeaters.

*Supported by IARPA

SESSION ON MEMS AND MICROFABRICATION

M.G. Blain, M.A. Mangan, C.P. Tigges, D.L. Stick, P.D.D. Schwindt (Sandia)

Title: “Microfabrication of micro-trap and optical micro-cavity chips”

Abstract: The microfabrication and packaging of micrometer scale ion trap chips for application in trapped ion quantum computing and mass spectrometry experiments is briefly described, as are results in their application in mass spectrometry and ion trapping and cooling experiments. We also describe the fabrication of magnetic microtraps and initial results for Au on Si micro-cavity mirrors for cold atom experiments.

Roland Ryf (Alcatel-Lucent)

Title: “MEMS based spatial light modulation and beam steering”

Olga Blum-Spahn (Sandia Labs)

Title: "Optical MEMS for Integrated Atomic Systems".

Abstract: Practical systems in the area of atomic and/or trapped ion physics require high levels of integration, either to provide portability or to realize new levels of complexity. Such integration is greatly needed in the area of scalable method of simultaneous control of multiple optical beams necessary for manipulation of atoms or trapped ions. In order to control movement and position of the optical beams we propose to utilize optical MEMS technology. This talk will describe recent developments in optical MEMS mirrors fabricated utilizing Sandia's SUMMiT process. Issues such as design, performance, scalability and limitations, as well as possible improvements, will be addressed.

SESSION ON OPTO-ATOMIC SYSTEMS AND LASERS

Sterling E. McBride (Sarnoff Corporation, Princeton, NJ)

Title: “Miniaturized Opto-Atomic Systems”

Abstract: From a historic background in materials processing and fabrication, Sarnoff has developed a number of advanced technologies enabling the creation of miniaturized, transportable, opto-atomic systems. These systems include high performance chip scale atomic clocks as well technologies for transportable inertial sensing systems based on ultracold atoms.

Specifically, Sarnoff has developed technologies enabling the fabrication of wafer-scale alkali-vapor cells of millimeter to centimeters dimensions, temperature-invariant buffer-gas vapor cells, ultra high vacuum miniature atom cells, pure alkali-metal dispensers, low-noise low-power-consumption VCSEL pump lasers, integrated thin-film thermal heater and temperature sensors, and integrated lasers systems for atom cooling. In addition, Sarnoff has designed and fabricated integrated microwave, magnetic, and thermo-mechanical structures to create complete atomic systems. Current integrated atomic systems include clock physics package providing 10-11 frequency stability from a 4 cm3 package based on cw-VCSEL pump, direct RF hyperfine interrogation, as well as a rack-mount-size magneto-optical trap (MOT) system recently demonstrating transportable cold-atom technology.

These technologies will be utilized by government and commercial customers for such applications as maintaining secure communications and navigation in GPS-denied environments, distributed sensing and advanced, coherent, high-speed signal processing.

Michael Anderson (Vescent Photonics)

Title: “DFB Lasers and Liquid-Crystal Waveguides: Something Old and Something New”

Abstract: Vescent is developing a DFB laser system for inertial navigation sensors based on atom interferometry. The system is comprised of a master laser locked to a Rb hyperfine transition with slave lasers controlled by electronic frequency-offset locking. Being modular in design, the system is highly flexible in order to support a wide variety of development paths towards inertial navigation systems and other research in cold-atom physics.

We will also talk about our work with liquid-crystal waveguides, which is a new technology that provides an alternative to controlling light with MEMS devices. By placing liquid-crystal material in the evanescent field of a planar waveguide we can control the propagation constant of the guided light by an unprecedented amount. We will describe our results for chip-scale tunable lasers, spectrometers, beam steerers, and optical switches.

Mary H. Crawford (Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM)

Title: “Progress towards UV Laser Diodes and Detectors for Quantum Information Processing”

Abstract: With direct energy bandgaps that span from ~200-1770 nm, nitride semiconductors (GaN, InN, AlN and related alloys) have significant potential to provide compact, custom wavelength, UV/visible laser diodes and high sensitivity detectors for trapped-ion quantum information processing and related applications. Commercially available near-UV/blue (~370-450 nm) laser diodes based on InGaN quantum well active regions have already been employed in demonstrations of atom and ion cooling. Efforts at Sandia have focused on the development of less mature, wider bandgap AlGaN alloys to reach deeper ultraviolet wavelengths (200-350 nm), and have resulted in a demonstration of milliwatt level performance from 275-300 nm light-emitting diodes (LEDs), as well as LEDs with emission as short as 237 nm. A current goal is the transition from LEDs to laser diodes, with the potential to reach 313 nm and 280 nm for application to Be+ and Mg+ based systems, respectively. In this presentation, we will review recent progress and remaining challenges in the development of AlGaN-based UV laser diodes. We will further present recent advances achieved by several research groups in the performance of avalanche photodiodes based on AlGaN and SiC wide-bandgap semiconductors. Sandia is a multiprogram laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin Company, for the United States Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.

ORGANIZERS Chairs: Jungsang Kim, Duke University Alex Kuzmich, Georgia Institute of Technology Richart Slusher, Georgia Tech Research Institute Organizing Committee: Dana Anderson, University of Colorado, JILA Leo Hollberg, NIST Jungsang Kim, Duke University Alex Kuzmich, Georgia Institute of Technology Anne Matsuura, AFOSR Richart Slusher, Georgia Tech Research Institute CONTACT INFORMATION For questions related to the workshop, please contact: Richart Slusher dick.slusher@gtri.gatech.edu 404-407-6994