3D ion trap with through-substrate connections

Abstract

To provide an electrode part for generating an electric field and / or a magnetic field for capturing ions in a capture region, a three-dimensional (3D) ion trap including one or more of such an electrode part, a system for capturing ions with such a 3D ion trap, and a method for manufacturing such an electrode part.SOLUTION: An electrode part is manufactured from an electrically insulating substrate and includes an electrode main body that is long in a first direction toward an ion capture region, a peak electrode positioned at a terminal part of the electrode main body that is the closest to the capture region or a side part electrode positioned at a side of the terminal part, and a connection part connected to the peak electrode and separated from the capture region passing the electrode main body from the peak electrode.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1a

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE Embodiments of the present invention relate to the field of 3D ion traps. [Background technology]

[0002] Devices for the electrical trapping of charged particles (ions), also called "ion traps", typically include multiple electrodes that generate an electric field to confine the ions in a small area, typically in a vacuum chamber. Ion traps are used in many technological applications such as information processing (quantum computing, quantum simulation), atomic and molecular experiments, spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, atomic / optical clocks, and metrology.

[0003] Such typical applications often require very precise and accurate ion traps, ie traps that generate very specific (predetermined / desired) electric and / or magnetic field configurations with extremely high accuracy. Summary of the Invention

[0004] It may be desirable to improve the performance of an ion trap.

[0005] In some embodiments, this is accomplished by routing electrical connections to the electrodes of the 3D trap through the non-conductive substrate on which the electrodes are located.

[0006] The invention is defined by the independent claims. Some advantageous embodiments are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0007] In some embodiments of the invention, a three-dimensional (3D) ion trap is provided. The 3D ion trap comprises a plurality of electrode segments for trapping ions in a trapping region. Each of one or more of the plurality of electrode segments comprises: (i) an electrode body fabricated from an electrically insulating substrate and elongated in a first direction toward the ion trapping region; (ii) a peak electrode located at an end of the electrode body closest to the trapping region or a side electrode located on the electrode body to the side of the end; and (iii) a connection connected to the peak electrode or the side electrode and leading away from the trapping region through the electrode body (from the peak electrode or from the side electrode, respectively).

[0008] The details of one or more embodiments are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages will become apparent from the description, drawings, and claims.

[0009] In the following, embodiments of the invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1a] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a three-dimensional view of an exemplary ion trap. [Figure 1b] FIG. 1b is a schematic diagram illustrating a three-dimensional view of the exemplary ion trap of FIG. 1a, with the upper right electrode portion cut away. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1b is a radial two-dimensional view of the exemplary ion trap of FIG. [Figure 3a] FIG. 1b is a two-dimensional axial cross-sectional view of the exemplary ion trap of FIG. 1a, viewed axially. [Figure 3b] 3a-3c are two-dimensional axial cross-sectional views of the exemplary ion trap of FIG. 1a at different axial positions than in FIG. 3a. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the coupling of two ion traps. [Diagram 5] 1 is a flow chart illustrating an example of manufacturing steps for an ion trap. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration and description only and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the disclosed subject matter. It is further noted that like reference signs refer to the same or at least functionally equivalent features.

[0012] In the following description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part of this disclosure and which show by way of illustration certain aspects of embodiments of the invention or in which embodiments of the invention may be used. It is understood that embodiments of the invention may be used in other ways and may include structural or logical changes not shown in the drawings. Therefore, the following detailed description should not be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims.

[0013] It is understood that the features of the various exemplary embodiments and / or aspects described herein can be combined with each other, unless otherwise stated.

[0014] For purposes of the following description, the terms "end", "upper", "lower", "right", "left", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "lateral", "longitudinal", and derivatives thereof, shall refer to the disclosed subject matter as oriented in the drawings. It should be understood, however, that the disclosed subject matter may assume various alternative variations and step sequences unless expressly specified to the contrary. It should also be understood that the specific devices and processes illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the following specification are merely exemplary embodiments or aspects of the disclosed subject matter. Thus, specific dimensions and other physical characteristics related to the embodiments or aspects disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting, unless otherwise indicated.

[0015] As used herein, aspects, components, elements, structures, operations, steps, functions, instructions, and / or the like should not be construed as critical or essential unless expressly described as such. Also, as used herein, the articles "a" and "an" are intended to include one or more items and may be used interchangeably with "one or more" and "at least one." Additionally, as used herein, the term "set" is intended to include one or more items (e.g., related items, unrelated items, a combination of related and unrelated items, and / or the like) and may be used interchangeably with "one or more" or "at least one." When only one item is intended, the term "a" or similar term is used. Also, as used herein, terms such as "has," "have," "having," and the like are intended to be open-ended terms. Additionally, the phrase "based on" is intended to mean "based at least in part on" unless otherwise specified.

[0016] 3D Ion Trap In general, ion traps use electric and / or magnetic fields to trap ions. A surface trap is a trap in which all electrodes generating said fields are located (essentially) in or on the same plane. In this disclosure, the term "3D trap" refers to any ion trap that is not a surface ion trap. Thus, in a 3D trap, multiple electrodes are located on different planes. More specifically, some electrodes may be in different planes and some electrodes may still be in the same plane. In other words, the term 3D ion trap refers to a (three-dimensional) assembly with multiple electrodes that, when driven, generate electric and / or magnetic fields that limit the freedom of movement of ions so that they do not escape from a certain (preferably small) region in the vicinity of those electrodes.

[0017] A 3D trap is thus a device that can be used to "trap" ions, i.e., spatially confine ions to a specific (small) region, also referred to herein as the "trapping region". For a 3D trap, this region is typically inside the ion trap, i.e., there are typically multiple electrodes on different sides / directions of the trapping region of the 3D trap. These directions may correspond to the symmetry of the 3D trap, often a continuous or discrete rotational symmetry. For example, in the case of a discrete rotational symmetry of order n, an integer greater than 1, there can be n electrodes in n respective directions, and the n directions are related by the rotation angle (360° / n)·m around the trap axis, where m=0,1,2,···,n-1.

[0018] The 3D trap may be a linear 3D trap, a Penning or a Paul trap. These non-limiting examples of 3D ion traps are presented in more detail below. However, it should be noted that the present invention is not limited to these examples or any particular type of 3D trap. It should also be noted that the actual ion trap device / system may include further mechanical and electrical components such as fixing means, electrical contacts, housing, power supply, control circuitry, means for cooling ions, etc.

[0019] A Penning trap refers to a trap that uses electrostatic and magnetic fields to trap ions. Typically, only electrostatic fields are used in a Penning trap. In other words, oscillating and / or alternating fields are not typically used. For example, an axial static magnetic field can be used to confine charged particles radially.

[0020]

number

[0021] where q and m are the charge and mass of the charged particle, respectively. Additionally, an electrostatic quadrupole potential can be used to confine the charged particles in the axial direction.

[0022]

number

[0023] A Paul trap refers to a trap that uses an electric field to trap ions. Typically, in a Paul trap, only an electric field is used to trap ions. In particular, a magnetic field is not typically used. Typically, at least one of the electric fields in a Paul trap is alternating (e.g., oscillating), and a Paul trap can use both static and alternating electric fields. For example, the alternating field in a Paul trap may be an alternating electric multipole field, particularly an electric quadrupole field. Because the voltage switching is often done at radio frequencies, these traps are also called radio frequency (RF) traps.

[0024] A linear 3D trap is a specific type of 3D trap. Typically in a linear 3D trap, ions are confined radially using an alternating current (AC) electric field and axially by a static (DC) potential. A linear 3D trap is therefore also commonly a (linear) Paul trap.

[0025] Typical applications of 3D ion traps often require very high precision and accuracy, for example with regard to the symmetry of the generated electric and / or magnetic fields.

[0026] (Embodiment) According to one embodiment, a three-dimensional (3D) ion trap is provided. The 3D ion trap comprises a plurality of electrode portions for trapping ions in a trapping region. Figures 1a and 1b show an example of such an ion trap having four electrode portions 100a, 100b, 100c, 100d. Each of one or more (or even each) of the plurality of electrode portions may include: (i) an electrode body made of an electrically insulating substrate and extending (e.g., protruding) toward an ion-trapping region (in this disclosure, the direction in which the substrate extends is also referred to as a "first direction"); (ii) a peak electrode located at a distal end of the electrode body nearest the capture region; (iii) a connection portion connected to the peak electrode and leading from the peak electrode through the electrode body and away from a capture region; Equipped with.

[0027] For example, in Figures 1a and 1b, electrode portion 100a comprises: (i) an electrode body 120a made from an electrically insulating substrate and extending toward the ion-trapping region 180 (in a "first direction"), (ii) a peak electrode 140a located at the end of the electrode body 120a closest to the trapping region 180, and (iii) a connection portion 160a connected to the peak electrode 140a and leading from the peak electrode 140a through the electrode body 120a and away from the trapping region 180. It should be noted that the other electrode portions 100b-100d may be constructed in the same manner as electrode portion 100a, i.e., any or each of the other electrode portions 100b-100d may include (i) a respective electrode body made from an electrically insulating substrate and extending (in a certain direction) towards an ion capture region, (ii) a respective peak electrode located at an end of the respective electrode body and closest to the capture region, and (iii) a respective connection portion connected to the respective peak electrode and leading from the peak electrode through the electrode body and away from the capture region.

[0028] Instead of (or in addition to, as will be described in more detail below) a peak electrode 140a, one or more of the plurality of electrode segments 100a comprises a side electrode 150a located on the electrode body 120a laterally of the distal end. Correspondingly, the connection is connected to the side electrode 150a and is provided to lead from the side electrode through (at least partially within) the electrode body 120a and away from the capture region 180.

[0029] FIG. 2 shows a two-dimensional view (rather than a cut) of the exemplary ion trap of FIG. 1a (and FIG. 1b). More specifically, FIG. 2 shows a yz-plane view looking in the "-x" direction (in other words, from a point having a positive x value, in the direction opposite to the x direction) from a point on the right side of the structure shown in FIG. 1a. FIGS. 3a and 3b show two-dimensional cuts of the electrode portion of the exemplary ion trap of FIG. 1a. More specifically, the horizontal axis of FIGS. 3a and 3b corresponds to the x direction in FIG. 1a, and the vertical axis of FIGS. 3a and 3b corresponds to the y direction in FIG. 1a. Also, the z position of the cut in FIG. 3a corresponds to the position of the vertical dashed line indicated by the "A" arrow in FIG. 2, and the z position of the cut in FIG. 3b corresponds to the position of the vertical dashed line indicated by the "B" arrow in FIG. 2.

[0030] In Fig. 3, each of the four electrode segments is illustrated as having a connection through its respective electrode body. However, the invention is not limited thereto, and in general, only one electrode segment may have a connection through its electrode body, and an electrode segment may also have two or more connections through its electrode body. These connections may be located at different positions along the direction of the capture region (the third direction corresponding to the z-axis in Fig. 1).

[0031] Capture area In general, the trapping region is a region in which ions are trapped when an appropriate voltage is applied to the electrodes. Moreover, in general, the trapping region can extend in a particular direction, also referred to herein as the "axial" or "third direction", which may be the axis of symmetry of the ion trap. For example, the trapping region may be a linear trapping region and / or may correspond to a line around which the trapped ions are located / trapped. The third direction thus refers to a direction along or parallel to said line / trapping region.

[0032] For example, in FIG. 1a, the trapping region 180 is shown diagrammatically as a line in the z-direction. This line may, for example, correspond to the position where the ion has a minimum potential energy with respect to the electromagnetic field generated by the ion trap (e.g. ignoring Coulomb interactions with other ions). Due to residual kinetic energy, the trapped ions are typically trapped in a region around said line. In other words, the trapping region may not be said line (e.g. line 180), but may extend radially from said line. The width of the trapping region in the radial / first direction depends on the temperature of the trapped ions and / or the strength of the voltage applied to the electrodes. In particular, the trapping region may correspond to a linear axis of symmetry of the ion trap (e.g. the trapping region may extend along the axis of symmetry) and / or the "third direction" may be parallel to the axis of symmetry of the ion trap.

[0033] It should be noted here that 3D ion traps typically have rotational symmetry (continuous or discrete), e.g., discrete cylindrical symmetry or continuous cylindrical symmetry. Without loss of generality, it can be assumed that the symmetry axes of such rotational or cylindrical symmetry are parallel to the z-axis of a Cartesian coordinate system whose axes are represented by three mutually orthogonal unit vectors.

[0034]

number

[0035] For example, in FIG. 1a, the trap has discrete 90° rotational symmetry for rotation about the z-axis.

[0036]

number

[0037] It should be noted that "radial," "tangential," and "axial" may correspond to what are referred to herein as the "first direction," "second direction," and "third direction," respectively.

[0038]

number

[0039] In general, as shown in particular in FIG. 2, the electrode body and the peak electrodes (and the side electrodes) may extend in a direction along the ion capture region (i.e., along a "third direction"). Note that the situation where the electrode body and / or the peak electrodes extend in a third direction may be the reason why the capture region extends in a third direction when appropriate voltages are applied to the electrodes. For example, in FIG. 1a, each of the four electrode portions 100a, 100b, 100c, and 100d are shown as extending in the z-direction, which is the direction along the capture region.

[0040] Electrode part In general, a 3D ion trap may comprise multiple electrode portions, or in the particular example shown in the figures, may comprise (trap) blades. For example, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, there may be four electrode portions. However, the invention is not limited to a particular number of electrode portions in the ion trap. Furthermore, in general, any number of electrode portions (e.g., one, several, or each) may be as described herein, for example, with connections, particularly through the electrode body. For example, as shown in Figure 3b, there may be four electrode portions, each of which may have connections connecting the respective peak electrodes of said electrode portions through the substrate as described herein.

[0041] In general, the electrode portions may be arranged such that their respective peak electrodes surround the trapping region at equal distances. In other words, the distance from the center of the trapping region to the peak electrodes may be the same for some or all of the peak electrodes. Alternatively or additionally, the orientations and / or positions of the individual electrode portions from the center position of the trapping region may be related to each other by discrete rotational symmetry (the order of discrete rotational symmetry corresponding to the number of electrodes) about the trapping axis. For example, in FIG. 2, there are four electrodes, which are in orientations related by rotations of angles 90°, 180°, and 270° about the z-axis. In other words, the peak electrode centers of the four peak electrodes are in the directions (1,1,0), (-1,1,0), (-1,-1,0), and (1,-1,0) from the trapping region, respectively. Thus, in general, the electrode bodies and / or peak electrodes may be positioned and / or oriented symmetrically (e.g., with discrete rotational symmetry about an axis referred to herein as the trapping axis) about the trapping region. The peak electrodes and / or side electrodes (eg, shield electrodes) may be metallized on the electrode body.

[0042] Electrode body In general, the electrode body is made (mainly) from an electrically insulating (or non-conductive) substrate / material. In particular, the substrate material may be an insulator such as glass, diamond, sapphire, ceramic, or a semiconductor with sufficiently high resistivity and low radio frequency (RF) losses, e.g., intrinsic Si. In general, the electrode body may include a plurality of these materials. However, as opposed to an electrode body made from a semiconductor, an electrode body made from an insulator such as glass / diamond / sapphire may improve the RF properties of the substrate, avoid static stray magnetic fields, reduce crosstalk between multiple different through-substrate vias (TSVs), and / or allow for providing optical access through the electrode body.

[0043] This allows the electrode body to electrically insulate the different electrodes provided on the electrode body, and allows different voltages to be applied to the multiple electrodes located on the surface of the electrode body.

[0044] The electrode body of the electrode portion may include an elongated portion that is elongated in a direction toward the trapping region, also referred to herein as the "first direction". The elongated portion may correspond to the entire electrode. However, the present disclosure is not limited to such a configuration. For example, the electrode body may be part of the body of the entire trap, which may be monolithic or non-monolithic. Thus, a portion such as the base where the electrode body is fixed in the trap may be wider than the length of the elongated portion.

[0045] The first direction may be orthogonal to a direction along the trapping volume, also referred to herein as the third direction. The first direction may be radial and the third direction may be axial or symmetrical of the ion trap, which has rotational symmetry as described above.

[0046] It should be noted that in general, the first direction need not be the same as the central axis of the electrode body, since the electrode body and / or elongated portion need not be symmetric about its central axis. Thus, the central axis of the electrode body or elongated portion need not extend directly radially towards the capture region, even if the first direction is considered to be a radial direction orthogonal to the direction along the capture region.

[0047] It should further be noted that the first direction need not be radial: it is conceivable to have an elongated portion extending towards the capture region in a first direction that is angled (slanted) relative to a direct radial direction.

[0048] More specifically, "elongated" as used herein means that the electrode body, or an elongated portion of the electrode body, is longer in a first direction than in a second direction, which is a direction perpendicular to the first and third directions.

[0049] For example, as shown in FIG. 3a, the electrode portion 100a in the form of a blade including the electrode body 120a already satisfies this condition since W < L. However, the electrode body may generally have a form including a base that is wider than W and wider than L. In some embodiments, the electrode body, particularly in the case of four electrodes, can satisfy W / 2 < L according to W and L as shown in FIG. 3. Generally, a narrower blade can provide better optical access to the capture region.

[0050] Note that the example shown in the figure shows four blades, but it may be sufficient to have two blades to interpret the ion trap. The peak electrode can be an RF electrode, but the ground (GND) can be located on the (both) sides of the blade. Generally, for any number N (particularly N > 2) of identically configured blades, the configuration can satisfy W / (2L) < tan(pi / N).

[0051] However, note that generally, the ion trap does not need to have identical blades. In particular, it can have any form of the electrode body that does not need to be a blade. Even in such a form, the TSV represents an efficient way for power supply to the electrodes close to the capture region while still providing sufficient space for the optical path towards the capture region to enable manipulation of the trapped ions.

[0052] As mentioned above, the second direction may be the tangential direction of an ion trap with rotational symmetry. In other words, the (maximum) spatial extension of the electrode body in the direction towards the trapping region is greater than the (maximum) spatial extension of the electrode body in the direction orthogonal to both the direction along the trapping region and the direction towards the trapping region. In the following, the first (longer) spatial extension is also called the length of the electrode body, and the second (smaller) spatial extension is also called the width of the electrode body. For example, in the example shown in Figures 3a and 3b, the (maximum) spatial extension of the electrode body 120a in the direction towards the trapping region, length L = Lmax, is greater than the (maximum) length / spatial extension of the electrode body 120a in the "second direction", width W = Wmax.

[0053]

number

[0054] It should further be noted that the extension of the electrode body in a direction along the capture region may be greater than, equal to, or less than the length of the electrode body. Furthermore, the electrode body of each electrode portion may have the same length, width, and / or spatial extension in a third direction along the capture region.

[0055] Moreover, as also shown in Figs. 1a, 1b, 3a and 3b, the width of the electrode body may generally decrease along the direction toward the trapping region, or may include at least a portion that does not increase or decreases in width toward the trapping region. For example, in Figs. 1a, 1b, 3a and 3b, the maximum width W, which is the width that the electrode body or said portion (elongated portion) has at the position furthest from the trapping region 180, is greater than the spatial extension v, which is the width that the electrode body has at a position closer to the trapping region than said furthest position. Note that this condition does not have to apply to the entire electrode body. For example, in the case of a monolithic trap structure, it may be difficult to separate the electrode body from the rest of the trap. Furthermore, the base of the electrode body may be wide so that it is attached to the trap. Furthermore, the electrode body may include several trenches, such as trenches separating the peak and side electrodes. In general, the elongated portion of the electrode body can facilitate efficient trap design with TSVs within the electrode body, which may be particularly advantageous for 3D Paul traps (which are distinct from surface traps). The design with decreasing width facilitates efficient spatial arrangement of the electrodes within the trap while allowing for a stable and robust trap structure.

[0056] It should be noted that although Figures 1a, 1b, 3a and 3b show the width of the electrode portion at the peak of the peak electrode 140a (e.g., the location of the electrode closest to the capture region / end), the invention is not so limited. In general, the width may not decrease essentially to zero at the closest location. Furthermore, the width does not necessarily decrease strictly monotonically as the distance from the capture region decreases, for example, the width may simply decrease monotonically (i.e., may decrease with distance but remain constant for some time).

[0057] Electrodes and Electrode Segments Generally, the electrodes are made of (electrically) conductive materials such as metals or semiconductors (e.g., indium tin oxide), or a combination of different conductive materials. For example, the electrodes may be formed from / by a conductive coating on the electrode body.

[0058] Peak Electrode A peak electrode is an electrode located at the end of an electrode body, the term "end" referring to a (certain) part of the electrode body (or specifically the surface of the electrode body). Said part is called end for the following reasons: (i) The portion / location of the electrode body closest to the capture region. (ii) As mentioned above, the width of the electrode body may decrease towards the capture region, so that at the ends the electrode body may have a minimal extension in the tangential / second direction at the ends.

[0059] The end portion may be a point, a line, or an area on the surface of the electrode portion. For example, in the case of the ion trap shown in Figures 1-3, said end portion of each electrode portion corresponds to a line parallel / along the capture region. It is further noted that the peak electrode does not have to cover the entire end portion, and there may be multiple peak electrodes at the end portion (especially on the surface of the electrode body) that are not electrically connected to each other. The peak electrodes may extend on the surface of the electrode body, especially in a direction along and / or away from the capture region. However, at least a portion of the peak electrode overlaps with the area / location of the electrode body closest to the capture region.

[0060] Side Electrode In general, an electrode portion may also include one or more side electrodes. For example, in Figures 1-3, electrode portions 100a, 100b, 100c, and 100d are shown having side electrodes 150a, 150b, 150c, and 150d, respectively. As can be seen in Figures 1-3, there may be two side electrodes located on different sides relative to the end (or relative to the peak electrode).

[0061] A side electrode refers to an electrode located on a side (side surface) of an electrode body. A side surface is a surface that emerges away from the capture region (e.g., at least not towards the capture region, where "emerges" can refer to the direction of the normal vector of said surface). Thus, a side surface typically does not cover the part of said surface closest to the capture region. On the other hand, a peak electrode typically covers at least a part of the surface of the electrode body that is directed towards the capture region. A side electrode may extend on the surface of the electrode body in a direction along the capture region and / or in a direction towards the capture region.

[0062] Electrode segmentation In general, there may be multiple peak electrodes at the end of the electrode portion (body). More specifically, the multiple peak electrodes of the electrode body may be located at different positions on the surface of the electrode body, and each of the peak electrodes may extend over a part of the end closest to the capture region. In particular, the multiple peak electrodes may be spaced apart from each other in the axial direction and may not be connected to each other (at least on the surface of the electrode body). In other words, the multiple electrodes of the electrode portion refer to electrodes that have no direct electrical contact between them. Thus, the multiple peak electrodes can be electrically insulated from each other (but it is also possible that they are connected to the same port).

[0063] Each peak electrode of the electrode portion may be connected to a respective connection through the substrate away from the capture region. These peak electrodes may be connected to different ports by these TSVs, thus allowing different voltages to be applied to different peak electrodes. However, some or all of the peak electrodes may be connected to the same port. Furthermore, there may be multiple side electrodes on each side of the electrode portion, said side electrodes being spaced apart from each other, for example, axially, as shown for example in Figures 1a and 1b. Alternatively or additionally, the side electrodes may be radially segmented, i.e. there may be multiple side electrodes on the same side of the electrode portion at the same axial position and spaced apart from each other radially.

[0064] For example, Figures 1-3 show multiple side electrodes on each of the two sides of each electrode portion formed by a segmented conductive coating. More specifically, in the illustrated example, each electrode portion has ten side electrodes (three side electrodes of electrode portion 100d are designated as "150d" in Figure 1a) on each of its two sides. In contrast, each electrode portion of the exemplary ion trap of Figures 1-3 has only one peak electrode. However, this is by way of example only, and the invention is not limited to any particular scenario regarding segmentation, i.e., each electrode of the ion trap may or may not be segmented (regardless of whether other electrodes are segmented).

[0065] Connection A connection through an insulating substrate is also referred to herein as a through-substrate via (TSV). Such a TSV is typically connected to the peak electrode and directed through the substrate / electrode body away from the peak electrode and / or capture region. In other words, a TSV may have (at least) two ends. One end may be connected to the peak electrode and the other end may terminate at a location further away from the capture region than the location connected to the peak electrode.

[0066] However, the invention is not so limited. In general, for example, if a connection is used as a thermal connection, the connection may not be connected to one (i.e., any) peak electrode, but may terminate, for example, at a distal end of the electrode body between two peak electrode segments.

[0067] Electrical Connections In general, the connections may be connections for connecting the peak electrodes to a power source. Additionally or alternatively, the connections may be for connecting the side electrodes to a power source. In such cases, the connections are made from a conductive material and are referred to as "electrical connections."

[0068] In general, the electrical connection may lead from the peak electrode (or side electrode) to a port for connecting the peak electrode (or side electrode) to a power source. In other words, one end of the electrical connection may be connected to the peak electrode (or side electrode) and the other end may be connected to a port or surface routing. Said port may be located on a part of the surface of the electrode body that is further from the capture area than the peak electrode (in particular at a greater distance from the capture area in the radial / first direction). Thus, in general, an electrode portion may comprise one or more such ports. There may be one port per TSV and peak electrode (or side electrode). However, it is also possible that several peak electrodes are connected to the same port via different TSVs. In Figures 1a and 1b, the port of the electrode portion 100a is indicated by a rectangle 170a at the surface furthest from the capture area 180.

[0069] The use of TSVs to electrically connect peak electrodes can increase the precision of the ion trap, for example by increasing the symmetry of the generated electric field. More specifically, for three-dimensional (3D) ion traps, the electrical connections to the individual electrodes are typically routed along the surface of the (non-conductive) substrate on which the electrodes rest. In particular, when scaling three-dimensional (3D) ion traps, a number of insulated electrodes (hereafter also electrode segments) are typically arranged in a row on the substrate (the row may define or correspond to the trap axis). However, such routing along the surface can limit the routing density and can result in a trade-off between the number of electrode leads (i.e., electrical connections for connecting the electrodes to a power source) and lead resistance / impedance. Routing on the surface can affect the electric field at the ion location in an undesirable way, for example due to the radio frequency (RF) electric field from the lead to the RF electrode. In particular, the translational symmetry along the trap axis can be reduced by the connections along the surface, which can reduce the symmetry of the generated field. Furthermore, the use of electrical connections through the substrate can reduce the axial field component of the generated RF field.

[0070] Moreover, such surface routing may make it difficult to connect island electrodes at all, where island electrodes refer to electrodes that are surrounded (completely or at least partially) by other electrodes. For example, in the example of Figures 1-3, peak electrodes 140a, 140b, 140c and 140d can be considered island electrodes, since side electrodes 150a-d do not allow connecting the peak electrodes via said side surfaces. However, TSVs through the insulating substrate allow even such island (peak) electrodes to be contacted via the substrate bulk.

[0071] A similar advantage is provided by connecting multiple side electrodes with connections that pass through the substrate of the electrode body.

[0072] Furthermore, the use of TSVs to electrically connect the peak electrodes and / or side electrodes can reduce the lead length and also the resistance per length to connect said peak electrodes to a power source. Such shorter routing can reduce associated issues such as lead impedance, crosstalk, RF absorption, etc. In particular, TSVs can reduce the connection line impedance, which can result in better RF grounding, less crosstalk, less Johnson noise, and / or generally reduced time-varying stray magnetic fields. Lower electrical resistance of the connections to the electrodes can reduce heat generation, which can be important, for example, when using cryogenically cooled ion traps. For example, to achieve the same electrical resistance per length as a TSV with a cross-sectional diameter of 50 μm, a routing surface with a thickness of about 2 μm and a width of ca. 1 mm may be required. This can be a significant width, for example, when using segment widths of ca. 300-500 μm.

[0073] It may be desirable for the TSVs to be centered in at least one direction through the substrate. For example, as shown in Figures 1a and 1b, the TSV 160a is located in the center (center in the second direction) of the electrode body 120a. In this exemplary case, the electrode body 120a is symmetrical with respect to the TSV in the second direction, and the TSV extends in the first direction together with the electrode body 120a. Such TSV locations may be applicable to the side electrodes as well as the peak electrodes, where the connections from the side electrodes are first led to the center and then led away from the capture region, similar to that shown for the peak electrodes.

[0074] Connection between electrodes In general, electrical connections through the substrate may be used to connect the peak electrodes with: another electrode of the same 3D trap (in particular another peak electrode of said 3D trap), or - the electrodes of the other ion trap (in particular the peak electrode of the other ion trap) as shown in Figure 4.

[0075] Such connections can be established through ports on the TSVs, as shown in FIG.

[0076] If the other electrode is an electrode of the same ion trap, it may be a distant electrode, for example (i) an electrode of the same electrode section that is not adjacent to the peak electrode, or (ii) an electrode of an electrode section other than the electrode section in which the peak electrode is located. In particular, the peak electrodes of an electrode section may be segmented, in which case different peak electrodes (segments) have their own TSVs and their own (i.e. different) ports. And two non-adjacent peak electrodes (i.e. there is at least one further peak electrode between the two non-adjacent peak electrodes in the axial direction) may be connected to each other by connecting the ports of the two non-adjacent peak electrodes to each other.

[0077] In the case where the electrical connection is a connection to a (peak) electrode of another ion trap, said other ion trap may also be a 3D trap with TSVs as shown in Figure 4, where the two traps with non-segmented peak electrodes are connected using TSVs via a "trap joint" 400 (i.e. a connection connecting the ports of the two TSVs). It should be noted that the invention is not limited to the example shown in Figure 4, and similarly in the case of a connection between different ion traps, one or both ion traps may have segmented peak electrodes.

[0078] Similarly, electrical connections through the substrate can be used to connect the side electrode to another electrode of the same 3D trap (in particular another side electrode of said 3D trap, e.g. a side electrode on another electrode body portion extending towards the trapping region), or to an electrode of another ion trap (in particular a side electrode of another ion trap).

[0079] In other words, the TSVs can be realized with wires connecting ions in different trapping regions (e.g., spaced / separate trapping regions of the same trap, or regions of different traps). This can mediate electrical coupling between ions trapped in the different regions, which can be used to create entanglement between these ions and / or to co-cool these ions even across different traps. Co-cooling refers to cooling a trapped ion using other trapped ions, e.g., ions trapped in another trapping region. Especially for high trapping frequencies, such as those typically used to trap light particles (e.g., electrons), a connection to a cooled circuit can be used for cooling.

[0080] Thermal Connection In general, the connections can be made of a thermally conductive material to conduct heat away from the peak electrode. In particular, the material of the connections can have a higher thermal conductivity than the substrate. In this regard, it is noted that the thermal connections do not necessarily have to be made of an electrically conductive material (but may be made of such materials, in particular as such materials often also have a high thermal conductivity). It is noted that expressions such as "thermally conductive", "high thermal conductivity" and the like refer to a higher thermal conductivity than the (surrounding) substrate.

[0081] When TSVs are used as thermal connections, the connections may or may not be used as electrical connections to the peak electrode (or the side electrode). In particular, the thermal connections may not be connected to an electrical port and / or to the peak electrode. For example, one end of the thermal connection may be on the surface of the electrode body between two adjacent peak electrode segments, and the other end of the thermal connection may be adjacent to a port. More specifically, one end of the thermal connection may be connected to the peak electrode, a part of the end that is not part of the peak electrode, or a part of the surface of the electrode body between two peak electrodes. Alternatively or additionally, the other end of the thermal connection may be connected to a heat sink. For example, the TSVs may establish a (good) thermal connection to the vacuum chamber in which the trap is located, or to the cold finger of a cryostat (especially if the ion trap is a cryogenic ion trap).

[0082] However, the invention is not limited thereto, and the thermal connections may also be embedded in the electrode body, In other words, the TSVs used as thermal connections may have one or more ends within the electrode body (i.e., one or more ends that are not located on the surface of the electrode body).

[0083] The use of TSVs as thermal connections can significantly increase the thermal conductivity (or conductance) of the electrode portion, i.e. improve the thermal conductivity through the substrate material. In other words, the connections can be used to carry heat away from the peak electrodes.

[0084] Frame The 3D ion trap may further comprise a frame (not shown) that holds a number of electrode portions. In particular, the frame may hold the electrode portions fixed in specific positions relative to each other. In general, said frame and electrode body may be formed from a piece of the same material or from multiple pieces. More particularly, (i) The electrode body and the frame may be integral. In other words, the electrode body and the frame may form a monolithic construction / structure; (ii) the electrode body and the frame may each be separate components, with the electrode body attached to the frame. In other words, the ion trap may be an assembled structure, or (iii) In general, there may be different components, one / some / each of which comprises more than just one electrode body or frame.

[0085] system The present disclosure also provides a system for manipulating (e.g., trapping) ions in an ion trap. The system may comprise any of the 3D ion traps described above.

[0086] Further, such a system may comprise one or more power sources for providing AC and / or DC power via said power connections at / to each of one or more of the plurality of electrode portions. Alternatively or additionally, such a system may comprise an electrical input / connection to which an external power source may be connected.

[0087] Further, such a system may include one or more controllers configured to control the power supplies. For example, the controller may be configured to control the power supplies to control the state of one or more ions trapped in the trapping region. In particular, the controller may control the power supplies such that the ion trap (i.e., the electrodes of the ion trap) generate electric and / or magnetic fields that capture / confine and / or transport and / or manipulate the quantum state of the (trapped) ions.

[0088] More specifically, the controller can control the power / voltage applied to each electrode (especially the ports of the peak electrodes of the 3D ion trap). In other words, the controller can either directly control the power supply or control the voltage (e.g., voltage only) applied to the electrodes / electrode contacts (in the latter case, the voltage applied to the electrodes can be different from that of the power supply). Control of the voltage can include modulation of the voltage. In particular, the voltages to be applied to the electrodes shown in Figures 1-3 to confine ions radially relative to the trap axis are typically radio frequency (RF) voltages. Thus, the controller can modulate the voltages applied to these electrodes at RF frequencies. The RF electrodes can be complemented by end cap electrodes (not shown) that confine ions axially when a direct current (DC) voltage is applied. Alternatively or additionally, appropriate DC voltages are applied to segmented side electrodes to confine ions axially and adjust the confining axial and radial confining potentials, e.g., to transport ions along the axial direction. Such DC voltages may also be controlled by the controller.

[0089] manufacturing The present disclosure also provides a manufacturing method for manufacturing / producing the above-mentioned ion trap and / or electrode portion. As shown in Figure 5, such a manufacturing method may generally include a step S700 of providing an electrode body, a step S720 of forming a cavity in the electrode body, and a step S740 of filling the cavity with a material including a metal. In general, however, the connection may be manufactured using any established technique for manufacturing through-silicon or through-substrate vias.

[0090] The cavities may be formed, for example, in S720, by laser drilling or etching. The etching may be, for example, laser-induced etching and / or anisotropic etching. In other words, a substrate material is fabricated having one or more suitable holes corresponding to the electrode body of the fabricated electrode portion. For example, for each connection, a corresponding cavity / hole may be formed through the electrode body. Thus, the holes may correspond to the path that the connection takes through the electrode body and may be formed from one side of the substrate to the other.

[0091] Furthermore, filling of the cavities in S740 may be performed, for example, by a deposition process, a galvanic deposition process, or by self-assembly utilizing, for example, a ferromagnetic material assisted by a magnetic field. For example, the deposition process may be or include chemical vapor deposition. Alternatively or additionally, electroplating (e.g., bottom-up plating and / or sidewall plating) may be used. Thus, in general, in the filling step S740, the holes are filled with a (electrically and / or thermally) conductive material.

[0092] The electrodes can be fabricated using microfabrication techniques (e.g., by evaporation or sputter coating of a metal layer onto the electrode body, followed by a laser patterning step to form individual electrode segments) and / or the metal coating can be performed on an electrode body where the electrode segments have been pre-patterned by laser-induced etching techniques.

[0093] Further Aspects The above-described embodiments and exemplary implementations provide some non-limiting examples. It is understood that various modifications can be made without departing from the claimed subject matter. For example, modifications can be made to the examples to accommodate new systems and scenarios without departing from the central concepts described herein.

[0094] In summary, the present disclosure provides an electrode portion for generating an electric and / or magnetic field for trapping ions in a trapping region, a three-dimensional (3D) ion trap comprising one or more such electrode portions, a system for trapping ions in such a 3D ion trap, and a method for manufacturing such an electrode portion. The electrode portion comprises an electrode body made from an electrically insulating substrate and elongated in a first direction towards the ion trapping region, a peak electrode located at an end of the electrode body closest to the trapping region, and a connection connected to the peak electrode and leading from the peak electrode through the electrode body away from the trapping region.

[0095] According to a first aspect, there is provided a three-dimensional ion trap comprising a plurality of electrode segments for trapping ions within a trapping region, each of one or more of the plurality of electrode segments comprising (i) an electrode body fabricated from an electrically insulating substrate and elongated in a first direction towards an ion trapping region, (ii) a peak electrode located at an end of the electrode body closest to the trapping region, and (iii) a connection connected to the peak electrode and leading from the peak electrode through the electrode body away from the trapping region.

[0096] According to one aspect, a three-dimensional ion trap is provided comprising a plurality of electrode segments for trapping ions within a trapping region, each of one or more of the plurality of electrode segments comprising (i) an electrode body fabricated from an electrically insulating substrate and including a portion extending in a first direction toward an ion trapping region, (ii) a side electrode located on the electrode body at a side of an end of the electrode body closest to the trapping region, and (iii) a connection connected to the side electrode and leading from the side electrode through the electrode body away from the trapping region.

[0097] According to a second aspect provided in addition to the first aspect, a width of the electrode body in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and a third direction along the ion-trapping region decreases along the first direction towards the ion-trapping region.

[0098] According to a third aspect provided in addition to the second aspect, the electrode body and the peak electrode extend in a third direction along the ion-trapping region.

[0099] According to a fourth aspect provided in addition to the second or third aspect, any one or more of the plurality of electrode portions further comprises (i) one or more first side electrodes located on a side of the electrode body, and / or (ii) one or more second side electrodes located on another side of the electrode body, each of the one or more first side electrodes and the one or more second side electrodes extending in a third direction.

[0100] According to a fifth aspect provided in addition to one of the first to fourth aspects, any one or more of the plurality of electrode portions further comprises a port for connecting the peak electrode to a power source, the connection being an electrical connection leading from the peak electrode to the port.

[0101] According to a sixth aspect provided in addition to one of the first to fifth aspects, in any one or more of the plurality of electrode portions, the connection portion is an electrical connection portion connecting a peak electrode with another electrode of the same three-dimensional ion trap or another ion trap so as to mediate electrical coupling between trapped ions.

[0102] According to a seventh aspect, provided in addition to one of the first to sixth aspects, each of the one or more electrode portions comprises (i) another peak electrode located at the end portion of the electrode body, and (ii) another connection portion connected to the another peak electrode and leading from the another peak electrode through the electrode body away from the capture region, wherein the another peak electrode is an electrode other than the peak electrode, the another connection portion is a connection portion other than the connection portion connected to the peak electrode, and the another peak electrode is at a different position along the capture region than the peak electrode.

[0103] According to an eighth aspect provided in addition to one of the first to seventh aspects, the connection portion is made from a thermally conductive material to conduct heat away from the peak electrode.

[0104] According to a ninth aspect provided in addition to one of the first to eighth aspects, the one or more of the plurality of electrode portions are four electrode portions arranged such that each peak electrode surrounds the capture region at an equal distance, and the three-dimensional ion trap further comprises a frame holding the four electrode portions.

[0105] According to a tenth aspect, there is provided a system for manipulating ions in an ion trap, comprising: (i) a three-dimensional ion trap according to any of the first to ninth aspects, (ii) a power supply for supplying power via the power connections at each of one or more of a plurality of electrode portions, and (iii) a controller for controlling the power supply to control a state of one or more ions trapped in the trapping region.

[0106] According to an eleventh aspect, there is provided a method for manufacturing an ion trap according to any of the first to ninth aspects, the method comprising: (i) providing the electrode body, (ii) forming a cavity in the electrode body, and (iii) filling the cavity with a material comprising a metal.

[0107] According to a twelfth aspect provided in addition to the eleventh aspect, the formation of the cavity is performed by laser drilling or etching.

[0108] According to a thirteenth aspect, provided in addition to the eleventh or twelfth aspects, filling of the cavities is performed by a deposition process, a galvanic deposition process, or self-assembly utilizing ferromagnetic materials assisted by a magnetic field.

Claims

1. 1. A three-dimensional ion trap comprising a plurality of electrode portions (100a, 100b, 100c, 100d) for trapping ions in a trapping region (180), wherein each of one or more of the plurality of electrode portions (100a, 100b, 100c, 100d) comprises: an electrode body (120a) made from an electrically insulating substrate and including a portion extending in a first direction toward said ion-trapping region (180); a peak electrode (140a, 140b, 140c, 140d) located at the end of the electrode body (120a) closest to the capture region (180); side electrodes (150a, 150b, 150c, 150d) located on the electrode body (120a) at the sides of the distal end; a connection portion (160a) connected to the peak electrode (140a, 140b, 140c, 140d) or the side electrode (150a, 150b, 150c, 150d) and directed through the electrode body (120a) away from the capture region (180); a width of the portion of the electrode body (120a) in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and a third direction along the ion-trapping region (180) decreases along the first direction toward the ion-trapping region (180); Three-dimensional ion trap.

2. Any one or more of the plurality of electrode portions (100a, 100b, 100c, 100d) comprises the peak electrode (140a, 140b, 140c, 140d); the electrode body (120a) and the peak electrodes (140a, 140b, 140c, 140d) extend in the third direction along the ion-trapping region (180); The three-dimensional ion trap of claim 1 .

3. Any of the one or more of the plurality of electrode portions (100a, 100b, 100c, 100d) the side electrode being a first side electrode located on a first side of the electrode body (120a); and / or a second side electrode located on another second side of the electrode body (120a); Equipped with The three-dimensional ion trap of claim 1 or 2, wherein each of the one or more first side electrodes and the one or more second side electrodes extend in the third direction.

4. 4. The three dimensional ion trap of claim 1, wherein any of the one or more of the plurality of electrode portions (100a, 100b, 100c, 100d) further comprises a port (170a) for connecting the peak electrode (140a, 140b, 140c, 140d) or the side electrode (150a, 150b, 150c, 150d) to a power source, the connection (160a) being an electrical connection (160a) leading from the peak electrode (140a, 140b, 140c, 140d) or the side electrode (150a, 150b, 150c, 150d) to the port.

5. 5. The three-dimensional ion trap of claim 1, wherein in any of said one or more of said plurality of electrode portions (100a, 100b, 100c, 100d), said connection (160a) is an electrical connection (160a) connecting said peak electrode (140a, 140b, 140c, 140d) with another electrode of the same three-dimensional ion trap or another ion trap so as to mediate electrical coupling between trapped ions.

6. Each of the one or more electrode portions (100a, 100b, 100c, 100d) Another peak electrode (140a, 140b, 140c, 140d) located at the distal end of the electrode body (120a); another connection (160a) connected to said another peak electrode (140a, 140b, 140c, 140d) and leading from said another peak electrode (140a, 140b, 140c, 140d) through said electrode body (120a) and away from said capture region (180); Equipped with 6. The three dimensional ion trap of claim 1, wherein the further peak electrode (140a, 140b, 140c, 140d) is an electrode other than the peak electrode (140a, 140b, 140c, 140d), the further connection (160a) is a connection (160a) other than the connection (160a) connected to the peak electrode (140a, 140b, 140c, 140d), and the further peak electrode (140a, 140b, 140c, 140d) is at a different position along the trapping region (180) than the peak electrodes (140a, 140b, 140c, 140d).

7. 7. The three-dimensional ion trap of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the connection (160a) is made from a thermally conductive material to conduct heat away from the peak electrodes (140a, 140b, 140c, 140d) or the side electrodes (150a, 150b, 150c, 150d).

8. the one or more of the plurality of electrode portions (100a, 100b, 100c, 100d) being four electrode portions (100a, 100b, 100c, 100d) arranged such that each peak electrode (140a, 140b, 140c, 140d) surrounds the capture region (180) at an equal distance; The three-dimensional ion trap further comprises a frame that holds the four electrode portions (100a, 100b, 100c, 100d). A three-dimensional ion trap according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. A three-dimensional ion trap according to any one of claims 1 to 8; a power source for supplying power via the power connection (160a) at each of the one or more electrode portions of the plurality of electrode portions (100a, 100b, 100c, 100d); a controller for controlling the power supply to control a state of one or more ions trapped within the trapping region; 1. A system for manipulating ions in an ion trap, comprising:

10. A method for manufacturing an ion trap according to any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising the steps of: Providing the electrode body (120a); forming a cavity in the electrode body (120a); filling the cavity with a material including a metal; A method comprising:

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the forming of the cavity is performed by a laser drilling or etching process.

12. 12. The method of claim 10 or 11, wherein the filling of the cavities is performed by a deposition process, a galvanic deposition process, or self-assembly using ferromagnetic materials assisted by a magnetic field.

Images