Integrated laser seeding and optical pumping for trapped particle interactions

Abstract

A confinement assembly is provided that is configured to confine quantum objects. The confinement assembly can include a first substrate having a potential generating element formed thereon, and can include a second substrate that is fixed relative to the first substrate. The confinement assembly further includes at least a portion of a laser (e.g., at least a portion of a gain medium and a resonant structure) formed on the first and / or second substrate. The potential generating element is operable to generate a confinement region that is configured to confine quantum objects. The confinement assembly at least partially defines an optical path for causing an optical beam to interact with at least a portion of the laser. The optical beam is (a) a seeding laser beam configured to control at least one characteristic of light emitted by the laser, or (b) an optical pumping beam configured to power the laser oscillation activity of the laser.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to U.S. Application No. 63 / 363,506, filed April 25, 2022, and U.S. Application No. 18 / 299,785, filed April 13, 2023, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

[0002] Various embodiments relate to devices, systems, and methods related to the use of active nanophotonics to interact with trapped particles. For example, various embodiments relate to the use of active nanophotonics to cause an optical beam to be incident on a trapped particle and / or to detect an optical signal emitted by the trapped particle. Exemplary embodiments relate to the use of active nanophotonics to interact with qubits in a quantum computer. [Background technology]

[0003] When using ion traps to perform quantum computing, gates and other functions of the quantum computer are performed by applying laser beams to ions contained within the ion trap. Delivering these laser beams to large-scale quantum computers is a significant challenge due to the low ion height above the trap, the Rayleigh length of the laser beam, and the amount of laser power that needs to be delivered to the ions in the trap to perform the functions of the quantum computer. Through applied effort, ingenuity, and innovation, many deficiencies of previous laser beam application techniques have been overcome by developing structured solutions in accordance with embodiments of the present invention, many examples of which are described in detail herein. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Application Serial No. 17 / 653,979 [Patent Document 2] U.S. Application No. 63 / 200,263 Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] Exemplary embodiments provide methods, systems, devices, computer program products, and / or the like for interacting with and / or causing particle interactions using signal manipulation elements including active nanophotonics. In various embodiments, particle interactions are performed through optical beams and / or signals applied to and / or incident on the particles. In various embodiments, particle interactions (e.g., interactions between two or more particles) are caused and / or mediated by optical beams and / or signals applied to and / or incident on the particles interacting with each other.

[0006] In various embodiments, the particle is a trapped and / or confined quantum object (e.g., an atom, an ion, a group of atoms and / or ions, a molecule, a quantum particle, and / or the like), a qubit, and / or the like. For example, the particle can be confined and / or trapped by a confinement assembly including and / or associated with a signal management system including a plurality of signal manipulation elements. In various embodiments, the signal manipulation elements include active nanophotonics, such as metasurfaces, metamaterials, photonic crystals, diffractive optical elements, microfabricated surfaces configured to perform signal control functions (e.g., reflection, refraction, diffraction, and / or the like), having dynamically controllable optical effects, and / or the like. In various embodiments, an incident signal and / or beam (e.g., an incoming manipulation signal and / or beam and / or a stimulus signal and / or beam) is incident on the signal manipulation element, which emits a guidance signal and / or beam that is applied to the particle location or a collection location corresponding to each particle location.

[0007] In various embodiments, one or more characteristics of the guided signal and / or beam are determined based on the state of the dynamically controllable optical effect of the signal manipulation element. Some non-limiting examples of characteristics of the guided signal and / or beam that may be determined based on the state of the dynamically controllable optical effect of the signal manipulation element include beam position / angle (direction of propagation of the guided signal / beam), focal length, polarization, phase, frequency, beam pattern, and power (e.g., amplitude), and / or the like.

[0008] According to aspects of the present disclosure, a system is provided (e.g., a signal management system, a quantum computer, a trapped particle system, and / or the like). In an exemplary embodiment, the system includes a confinement assembly and one or more signal manipulation elements. The particle confinement assembly defines a plurality of particle locations. Each of the one or more signal manipulation elements (a) is associated with a respective location of at least one of the plurality of particle locations, and (b) includes an active nanophotonic component having at least one dynamically controllable optical effect. Each of the one or more signal manipulation elements is configured, in response to an incident signal being incident thereon and based on the state of the dynamically controllable optical effect, to either (a) cause a guided signal to be incident on at least a portion of the at least one respective location, or (b) cause a guided signal to be incident on a respective collection location corresponding to the at least one respective location.

[0009] In an exemplary embodiment, one or more characteristics of the guided signal are controlled by the state of a dynamically controllable optical effect.

[0010] In an exemplary embodiment, the one or more characteristics of the guided signal include one or more of beam position / angle, focal length, polarization, phase, frequency, beam pattern, and power.

[0011] In an exemplary embodiment, the state of the dynamically controllable optical effect is controlled via at least one of application of an electric signal or field to the respective signal manipulation element, polarization of the incident signal, mechanical adjustment or movement of the respective signal manipulation element, temperature of the respective signal manipulation element, electro-optic effect of the respective signal manipulation element, acousto-optic effect of the respective signal manipulation element, or photoelastic effect of the respective signal manipulation element.

[0012] In an exemplary embodiment, the containment assembly is at least partially formed on a first substrate, and at least one of the one or more signal manipulation elements is formed on the first substrate.

[0013] In an exemplary embodiment, the containment assembly is at least partially formed on a first substrate, and at least one of the one or more signal manipulation elements is formed on a second substrate, the second substrate being fixedly or controllably attached to the first substrate.

[0014] In exemplary embodiments, the manipulation source is formed at least partially on the first substrate or the second substrate and / or is formed at least partially within the first substrate or the second substrate.

[0015] In an exemplary embodiment, the manipulation source includes a resonant structure formed as an array of nanophotonic structures.

[0016] In an exemplary embodiment, the array of nanophotonic structures is configured to have a metasurface or diffractive effect.

[0017] In an exemplary embodiment, the array of nanophotonic structures forms a photonic crystal structure, at least a portion of which is configured to have a metasurface or diffractive effect.

[0018] In an exemplary embodiment, the array of nanophotonic structures is configured to be seeded by a seed beam, which controls at least one of the frequency of light emitted by the laser or the linewidth of the light emitted by the laser.

[0019] In an exemplary embodiment, the manipulation source is a vertical external cavity surface emitting laser (VECSEL) that includes an external cavity that is at least partially defined by at least one of the one or more signal manipulation elements.

[0020] In an exemplary embodiment, the external cavity is defined by a first signal manipulation element formed on a first substrate and a second signal manipulation element formed on a second substrate.

[0021] In an exemplary embodiment, the manipulation source is a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) formed at least partially within the first substrate or the second substrate, and the signal manipulation element is disposed along an emission axis of the VCSEL such that the signal manipulation element is configured to control at least one characteristic of a signal emitted by the VCSEL.

[0022] In an exemplary embodiment, injection locking or seeding of the cavity of the manipulation source is used to control the frequency or linewidth of the signal emitted by the manipulation source.

[0023] In an exemplary embodiment, at least one of the signal manipulation elements is configured to modulate at least one of the amplitude, phase, frequency, or polarization of the guided signal.

[0024] In an exemplary embodiment, at least one of the signal manipulation elements has a dynamically controllable refractive index.

[0025] In an exemplary embodiment, the dynamically controllable refractive index is used to steer or control the propagation direction of the guided signal.

[0026] In an exemplary embodiment, at least one signal manipulation element includes a photoactive material and is configured to provide an electrical signal in response to light being incident thereon.

[0027] In an exemplary embodiment, the guided signal has a different frequency than the incident signal.

[0028] In an exemplary embodiment, the incident signal is an infrared signal and the guided signal is a visible or UV signal.

[0029] In an exemplary embodiment, each signal manipulation element is configured to convert the frequency of the incident signal to the frequency of the guided signal using at least one of harmonic generation or time-varying conversion effects.

[0030] In an exemplary embodiment, the incident signal is a pulsed signal.

[0031] In an exemplary embodiment, the induced signal is used to implement a background-free gated readout function.

[0032] In an exemplary embodiment, a vertical external cavity surface emitting laser (VECSEL) is provided. In the exemplary embodiment, the VECSEL is formed at least partially on or in a first substrate and at least partially on or in a second substrate. The VECSEL includes a first signal manipulation element disposed on the first substrate; and a second signal manipulation element disposed on the second substrate. The first signal manipulation element and the second signal manipulation element define an external cavity of the VECSEL. At least one of the first signal manipulation element and the second signal manipulation element includes a respective active nanophotonic component having a dynamically controllable optical effect.

[0033] In an exemplary embodiment, at least one of the first substrate or the second substrate defines a surface normal, and the external cavity of the VECSEL is angled relative to the surface normal.

[0034] In an exemplary embodiment, a containment assembly configured to contain one or more particles is formed on a first substrate.

[0035] In an exemplary embodiment, the containment assembly defines a plurality of particle locations, a first particle location of the plurality of particle locations being disposed between the first signal manipulation element and the second manipulation element, such that the particle location is disposed within the external cavity.

[0036] According to another aspect, a trapped particle system is provided. In an exemplary embodiment, the trapped particle system includes a confinement assembly configured to confine one or more particles and defining a plurality of particle locations, the confinement assembly being formed on a first substrate, a second substrate being fixedly or controllably attached to the first substrate, and a first vertical external cavity surface emitting laser (VECSEL) being formed at least partially on or in the first substrate and at least partially on or in the second substrate. The first VECSEL includes a first signal manipulation element disposed on the first substrate; and a second signal manipulation element disposed on the second substrate. The first signal manipulation element and the second signal manipulation element define an external cavity of the first VECSEL. At least one of the first signal manipulation element and the second signal manipulation element includes a respective active nanophotonic component having a dynamically controllable optical effect. A first particle location of the plurality of particle locations is disposed between the first signal manipulation element and the second signal manipulation element, such that the first particle location is disposed within the external cavity of the first VECSEL.

[0037] In an exemplary embodiment, at least one of the first substrate or the second substrate defines a surface normal, and the external cavity of the first VECSEL is angled relative to the surface normal.

[0038] In an exemplary embodiment, the trapped particle system further includes a second VECSEL formed at least partially on or in the first substrate and at least partially on or in the second substrate. The second VECSEL includes a third signal manipulation element disposed on the first substrate; and a fourth signal manipulation element disposed on the second substrate. The third signal manipulation element and the fourth signal manipulation element define an external cavity of the second VECSEL. At least one of the third signal manipulation element and the fourth signal manipulation element includes a respective active nanophotonic component having a dynamically controllable optical effect. The first particle location is disposed between the third signal manipulation element and the fourth signal manipulation element, such that the first particle location is disposed within the external cavity of the second VECSEL.

[0039] According to another aspect, an integrated laser is provided. In an exemplary embodiment, the laser includes a photonic crystal structure defining a photonic crystal cavity, at least a portion of the photonic crystal structure configured to have a metasurface or diffractive effect.

[0040] In an exemplary embodiment, the portion of the photonic crystal structure is an emitting surface of the photonic crystal structure.

[0041] In exemplary embodiments, the metasurface or diffractive effect is configured to control at least one of the direction of propagation, polarization, or phase of light emitted by the laser.

[0042] According to another aspect, an integrated laser is provided. In an exemplary embodiment, the laser includes a photonic crystal structure defining a photonic crystal cavity. The photonic crystal cavity is configured to be seeded by a seed beam, the seed beam controlling at least one of a frequency of light emitted by the laser or a linewidth of the light emitted by the laser.

[0043] In an exemplary embodiment, the seed beam is a laser beam generated by an external laser, having an external laser power, and the laser is configured to emit an emission beam having an emitted laser power, the emitted laser power being greater than the external laser power.

[0044] According to another aspect, a confinement assembly configured to confine one or more quantum objects is provided. The confinement assembly includes a first substrate having a plurality of electric potential-generating elements formed thereon; and at least a portion of a laser formed on the first substrate, the at least a portion of the laser including a gain medium and at least a portion of a resonant structure. The electric potential-generating elements are operable to generate one or more confinement regions configured to confine the one or more quantum objects. The confinement assembly at least partially defines an optical path for causing at least one optical beam to interact with at least a portion of the laser. The at least one optical beam is one of (a) a seeding laser beam configured to control at least one property of light emitted by the laser, or (b) an optical pumping beam configured to power lasing activity of the laser.

[0045] In an exemplary embodiment, the optical path for providing the at least one optical beam includes a free-space optical path.

[0046] In exemplary embodiments, the free-space optical path is at least partially defined by and / or includes one or more free-space optical elements.

[0047] In an exemplary embodiment, the optical path is configured to cause at least one optical beam to interact with at least a portion of the laser by causing the at least one optical beam to be incident on at least one of the gain medium or the resonant structure.

[0048] In an exemplary embodiment, the optical path includes a waveguide disposed in the first substrate.

[0049] In an exemplary embodiment, the waveguide is configured to cause the at least one optical beam to interact with at least a portion of the laser by one of: (i) providing the at least one optical beam to be incident on at least one of the gain medium or the resonant structure via an out-of-plane coupler; (ii) providing the at least one optical beam to be incident on at least one of the gain medium or the resonant structure via edge coupling; or (iii) causing the at least one optical beam to interact with the gain medium via evanescent coupling.

[0050] In an exemplary embodiment, the waveguide is a slab waveguide, and the slab waveguide is configured to cause at least one optical beam to interact with at least a portion of the laser via at least one of an out-of-plane coupler, evanescent coupling, or direct coupling.

[0051] In an exemplary embodiment, the waveguide is a slab waveguide, and the slab waveguide is coupled to at least a portion of the laser via a metasurface coupler.

[0052] In an exemplary embodiment, the slab waveguide is configured to have two or more optical beams propagating therethrough, the two or more optical beams differing from one another in at least one of wavelength or polarization, and the metasurface coupler is configured to cause at least a portion of the laser to interact with only one of the two or more optical beams.

[0053] In an exemplary embodiment, the at least one optical beam is generated by either (a) an external laser source external to the confinement assembly, or (b) an integrated laser that is part of the confinement assembly.

[0054] In an exemplary embodiment, the containment assembly further includes a second substrate, the second substrate being attached to and / or fixed relative to the first substrate, the second substrate at least partially defining an optical path for causing at least one optical beam to interact with at least a portion of the laser.

[0055] In an exemplary embodiment, the optical path includes a waveguide formed in the second substrate.

[0056] In an exemplary embodiment, the waveguide is configured to cause the at least one optical beam to interact with at least a portion of the laser by one of: (a) providing the at least one optical beam to be incident on at least one of the gain medium or the resonant structure via an out-of-plane coupler; (b) providing the at least one optical beam to be incident on at least one of the gain medium or the resonant structure via edge coupling; or (c) causing the at least one optical beam to interact with the gain medium via evanescent coupling.

[0057] In an exemplary embodiment, the waveguide is a slab waveguide, and the slab waveguide is configured to cause at least one optical beam to interact with at least a portion of the laser via at least one of an out-of-plane coupler, evanescent coupling, or direct coupling.

[0058] In an exemplary embodiment, the waveguide is a slab waveguide, and the slab waveguide is configured to cause at least one optical beam to interact with at least a portion of the laser via the metasurface coupler.

[0059] In an exemplary embodiment, the slab waveguide is configured to have two or more optical beams propagating therethrough, the optical beams differing from one another in at least one of wavelength or polarization, and the metasurface coupler is configured to cause at least a portion of the laser to interact with only one of the two or more optical beams.

[0060] According to another aspect, a confinement assembly configured to confine one or more quantum objects is provided. The confinement assembly includes a first substrate having a plurality of electric potential-generating elements formed thereon; a second substrate attached to and / or fixed relative to the first substrate; and at least a portion of a laser formed on the second substrate. The at least a portion of the laser includes a gain medium and at least a portion of a resonant structure. The electric potential-generating elements are operable to generate one or more confinement regions configured to confine the one or more quantum objects. The confinement assembly at least partially defines an optical path for causing at least one optical beam to interact with at least a portion of the laser. The at least one optical beam is one of (a) a seed laser beam configured to control at least one property of light emitted by the laser, or (b) an optical pump beam configured to power lasing activity of the laser.

[0061] In an exemplary embodiment, the optical path for providing the at least one optical beam includes a free-space optical path.

[0062] In an exemplary embodiment, the free-space optical path is at least partially defined by one or more free-space optics elements.

[0063] In an exemplary embodiment, the optical path is configured to cause at least one optical beam to interact with at least a portion of the laser by causing the at least one optical beam to be incident on at least one of the gain medium or the resonant structure.

[0064] In an exemplary embodiment, the optical path includes a waveguide disposed in either the first substrate or the second substrate.

[0065] In an exemplary embodiment, the waveguide is configured to cause the at least one optical beam to interact with at least a portion of the laser by one of: (a) providing the at least one optical beam to be incident on at least one of the gain medium or the resonant structure via an out-of-plane coupler; (b) providing the at least one optical beam to be incident on at least one of the gain medium or the resonant structure via edge coupling; or (c) causing the at least one optical beam to interact with the gain medium via evanescent coupling.

[0066] In an exemplary embodiment, the waveguide is a slab waveguide.

[0067] In an exemplary embodiment, the slab waveguide is configured to cause at least one optical beam to interact with at least a portion of the laser via at least one of an out-of-plane coupler, evanescent coupling, or direct coupling.

[0068] In an exemplary embodiment, the slab waveguide is coupled to at least a portion of the laser via a metasurface coupler.

[0069] In an exemplary embodiment, the slab waveguide is configured to have two or more optical beams propagating therethrough, the two or more optical beams differing from one another in at least one of wavelength or polarization, and the metasurface coupler is configured to cause at least a portion of the laser to interact with only one of the two or more optical beams.

[0070] In an exemplary embodiment, the at least one optical beam is generated by either (a) an external laser source external to the confinement assembly, or (b) an integrated laser that is part of the confinement assembly.

[0071] According to another aspect, a confinement assembly configured to confine one or more quantum objects is provided. The confinement assembly includes a first substrate having a plurality of electric potential-generating elements formed thereon; and respective portions of a plurality of lasers formed as part of the confinement assembly. The electric potential-generating elements are operable to generate one or more confinement regions configured to confine the one or more quantum objects. At least one laser of the plurality of lasers is configured to provide a respective seed laser beam to at least one other laser of the plurality of lasers.

[0072] In an exemplary embodiment, at least one other laser of the plurality of lasers is configured to provide a respective seed laser beam to another laser of the plurality of lasers.

[0073] In an exemplary embodiment, the optical path configured to provide a respective seed laser beam from at least one laser to at least one other laser includes a splitter, and the at least one other laser of the plurality of lasers includes two or more lasers of the plurality of lasers.

[0074] In an exemplary embodiment, at least one laser is configured to be seeded by an external laser external to the confinement assembly.

[0075] Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0076] [Figure 1]1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary quantum computing system including a quantum object confinement assembly including a metamaterial structure on a surface thereof, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment; [Figure 2] 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of a containment assembly including a signal manipulation element configured to apply a guidance signal to a particle location defined by the containment assembly according to an exemplary embodiment; [Figure 3] 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of a containment assembly including a signal manipulation element configured to apply a guidance signal to a collection location corresponding to a particle position defined by the containment assembly, according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic diagram of a flip-chip signal delivery arrangement in which a second substrate including signal manipulation elements is mounted in a fixed relationship relative to a containment assembly, according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 5] 1 is a schematic diagram of a portion of a confinement assembly in which the source of the manipulation signal and / or beam is a vertical external cavity surface emitting laser (VECSEL) including a cavity at least partially defined by two signal manipulation elements, according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 6A] 1 is a schematic diagram of a portion of a confinement assembly in which the source of the manipulation signal and / or beam is a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL), according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 6B] 1 is a schematic diagram of a portion of a confinement assembly in which the source of the manipulation signal and / or beam is a laser with a lateral cavity, according to an exemplary embodiment; [Figure 7]1 is a schematic diagram of a portion of a confinement assembly having multiple integrated lasers seeded and / or optically pumped by respective laser beams received via optical paths that are at least partially free-space optical paths defined at least in part by the confinement assembly, according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 8] 1 is a schematic diagram of a portion of a confinement assembly having an integrated laser seeded and / or optically pumped via an optical path including a waveguide and an out-of-plane coupler formed in a substrate, according to an exemplary embodiment; [Figure 9] 1 is a schematic diagram of a portion of a confinement assembly having an integrated laser that is seeded and / or optically pumped via evanescent coupling with a seeding laser beam or an optically pumping laser beam propagating through a waveguide formed in a substrate, according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 10] 1 is a schematic diagram of a portion of a confinement assembly having an integrated laser seeded and / or optically pumped via an optical path including a waveguide, formed in a substrate and coupled to the integrated laser via an edge coupler, according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 11] 1 is a schematic diagram of a portion of a confinement assembly having integrated lasers seeded and / or optically pumped via slab waveguides and respective out-of-plane couplers, according to an exemplary embodiment; [Figure 12] 1 is a schematic diagram of a portion of a confinement assembly having integrated lasers seeded and / or optically pumped using a daisy-chained reseeding or repumping scheme, according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 13]1 is a schematic diagram of a portion of a confinement assembly having an integrated laser seeded and / or optically pumped using a cascaded reseeding or repumping scheme, according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 14] 1 is a schematic diagram of an example controller of a quantum computer configured to perform one or more deterministic reshaping and / or reordering functions, according to various embodiments. [Figure 15] 1 is a schematic diagram of exemplary computing entities of a quantum computer system that may be used in accordance with exemplary embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0077] The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all, embodiments of the invention are shown. Indeed, the present invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. The term "or" (also written " / ") is used herein in both an alternative and connective sense, unless otherwise indicated. The terms "exemplary" and "exemplary" are used to refer to examples without an indication of a quality level. The terms "generally," "substantially," and "approximately" refer to within engineering and / or manufacturing tolerances and / or within the user's ability to measure, unless otherwise indicated. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.

[0078] Various embodiments provide methods, systems, devices, computer program products, and / or the like for interacting with particles and / or causing particle interactions using signal manipulation elements, including active nanophotonics. In various embodiments, active nanophotonics are nanophotonic elements having at least one dynamically controllable optical effect. Passive nanophotonics are nanophotonic elements without a dynamically controllable optical effect. In various embodiments, particle interactions are performed through optical beams and / or signals applied to and / or incident on the particles. In various embodiments, particle interactions (e.g., interactions between two or more particles) are caused and / or mediated by optical beams and / or signals applied to and / or incident on particles interacting with each other. In various embodiments, particles are trapped and / or confined quantum objects (e.g., atoms, ions, groups of atoms and / or ions, molecules, quantum particles, and / or the like), qubits (e.g., of a quantum processor and / or quantum computer), and / or the like. For example, in exemplary embodiments, the particles are trapped ions used as qubits in a quantum charge-coupled device (QCCD)-based quantum computer. In various embodiments, the signal manipulation element includes one or more of a metasurface and / or metamaterial array, a diffractive optical element, a photonic crystal, and / or a microfabricated surface configured to perform a signal manipulation function (e.g., reflection, refraction, diffraction, and / or the like).

[0079] In various embodiments, the particles are trapped and / or confined by a confinement assembly that includes and / or is associated with a signal management system, in various embodiments, the signal management system defines multiple optical paths configured to enable application of manipulation signals to particle locations defined by the confinement assembly and / or to provide indications of signals emitted by the particles to respective collection locations.

[0080] In various embodiments, the signal management system includes a plurality of signal manipulation elements. In various embodiments, the signal manipulation elements include active nanophotonics, such as metasurfaces, metamaterials, photonic crystals, diffractive optical elements, microfabricated surfaces configured to perform signal control functions (e.g., reflection, refraction, diffraction, and / or the like), and / or the like, having dynamically controllable optical effects. In various embodiments, the dynamically controllable optical effects are controlled and / or influenced by electrical signals, electric fields, incident signal and / or beam polarization, mechanical adjustments and / or movements (e.g., controlled via electrically controlled motors, actuators, and / or the like), temperature of the nanophotonic elements, electro-optical effects, acousto-optical effects, photoelastic effects, and / or the like.

[0081] In various embodiments, an incident signal and / or beam (e.g., an incoming manipulation signal and / or a stimulus signal) is incident on a signal manipulation element, and a guided signal and / or beam is emitted (e.g., by and / or from the signal manipulation element) that is applied to a particle location or a collection location corresponding to each particle location. In various embodiments, one or more characteristics of the guided signal and / or beam are determined based on the state of a dynamically controllable optical effect of the signal manipulation element. Some non-limiting examples of guided signal and / or beam characteristics that may be determined based on the state of a dynamically controllable optical effect of the signal manipulation element include beam position / angle (direction of propagation of the guided signal / beam), focal length, polarization, phase, frequency, beam pattern, and power (e.g., amplitude), chromatic filtering, and / or the like.

[0082] In various embodiments, the confinement assembly is an ion trap (e.g., a surface trap or a Paul trap), an optical trapping grating, a substrate having quantum dots formed and / or disposed thereon, and / or the like. In various embodiments, the confinement assembly is configured to confine one or more particles and / or to trap one or more particles and control the location of the one or more particles within the confinement assembly.

[0083] In various embodiments, the containment assembly defines a plurality of particle locations. In various embodiments, one or more of the particle locations correspond to collection locations. In various embodiments, each collection location is configured such that an indication of light emitted by a particle at each corresponding particle location and / or a corresponding stimulated signal / beam is detectable at and / or incident on the collection location.

[0084] In various embodiments, the guiding signal and / or beam can be used to interact with and / or induce interactions between confined particles to cause a controlled evolution of the quantum state of one or more particles confined by the confinement assembly. For example, the guiding signal can be used to ionize one or more particles, to initialize particles to a predetermined quantum state, to initialize particles to a defined set of quantum states (e.g., a defined qubit space and / or the like), to perform quantum gates on particles (e.g., single qubit gates, two qubit gates, and / or the like), to perform readout operations to determine the quantum state of a particle, and / or the like.

[0085] In various embodiments, one or more signal manipulation elements are disposed and / or mounted relative to the containment assembly such that the signal manipulation elements form at least a portion of a respective optical path between a respective particle location and a respective manipulation source and / or optical detector.

[0086] In various embodiments, at least one of the signal manipulation elements is disposed on a surface of a first substrate on which the containment assembly is formed and / or disposed and / or is at least partially disposed within the first substrate on which the containment assembly is formed and / or disposed. For example, the containment assembly is formed on a first substrate, and in various embodiments, at least one signal manipulation element is formed and / or disposed on a surface of the first substrate. As should be understood, the first substrate can include multiple layers of circuitry configured to control various elements / components of the operation of the containment assembly's function.

[0087] In exemplary embodiments, at least one of the signal manipulation elements is part of the containment assembly and is recessed and / or indented relative to the surface of the containment assembly. For example, the at least one signal manipulation element can be located in a first substrate and / or in a fabricated layer that is not directly on the surface defined by the plane of the containment assembly. For example, there can be a hole or opening in the surface of the containment assembly with at least one signal manipulation element recessed therein. In exemplary embodiments, a transparent layer surrounds the at least one signal manipulation element within the hole or opening. Various embodiments provide a containment assembly having one or more signal manipulation elements formed and / or disposed on the surface of the containment assembly and / or as part of the first substrate that includes the containment assembly.

[0088] An exemplary embodiment provides a second substrate having one or more signal manipulation elements formed and / or disposed thereon, mounted in a fixed and / or controlled relationship with respect to the containment assembly such that manipulation signals (e.g., in the form of guidance signals and / or beams) can be provided to particle positions via respective signal manipulation elements of the second substrate.

[0089] In various embodiments, each signal manipulation element is shaped and / or configured for use in performing one or more functions of the particle system (e.g., photoionization, state preparation, qubit detection and / or readout, cooling, shelving, repumping, single qubit gate, or two qubit gate). In exemplary embodiments, the particle system is a QCCD-based quantum computer. Various other embodiments relate to various other types of particle systems in which particles are trapped and / or confined, trapped and / or confined particles interact with other trapped and / or confined particles, and / or interactions between trapped and / or confined particles are induced and / or mediated.

[0090] In various embodiments, each signal manipulation element is configured to provide a resonant response to incident signals and / or beams (e.g., incoming manipulation signals and / or stimulus signals) of a respective particular wavelength range, similar to the signal manipulation elements described by U.S. Application No. 17 / 653,979, filed March 8, 2022, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. For example, for incident signals (and / or portions thereof) characterized by wavelengths within a respective particular wavelength range, the signal manipulation element will be induced to emit a controlled induced signal and / or beam (e.g., controlled in terms of propagation direction, focus, beam profile, polarization, and / or the like) as a result of the incident signal being incident on the signal manipulation element.

[0091] However, for incident signals and / or beams (and / or portions of incident signals) characterized by one or more wavelengths outside the respective specified wavelength ranges, the resulting signal will have a uniform phase delay applied to it but will not experience the focusing, polarization control, beam profile control, and / or the like of the controlled guiding signal. In other words, the signal manipulation element can be used as a chromatic filter in various embodiments. For example, one or more signals of different wavelengths and / or signals including different wavelengths can be incident on the signal manipulation element. The chromatic filtering performed by the signal manipulation element (e.g., a metamaterial array configured to have a resonant response for each specific wavelength) causes the controlled guiding signal to include only wavelengths in each specific wavelength range that the signal manipulation element is configured to use with. For example, an incoming manipulation signal incident on the signal manipulation element will be focused onto a corresponding particle location only when the incoming manipulation signal is characterized by a wavelength within the respective specific wavelength range.

[0092] In various embodiments, the signal manipulation element is configured such that the characteristics of the guided signal and / or beam are determined based at least in part on the respective state of one or more dynamically controllable optical effects of the signal manipulation element that emitted the guided signal and / or beam. Thus, in various embodiments, each specific wavelength range is dynamic and can be altered. For example, the state of the dynamically controllable optical effect of the signal manipulation element can be altered (e.g., through application of at least one of an electric signal, an electric field, a magnetic field, an incident signal and / or beam having a specific polarization, an incident signal and / or beam having a specific frequency or frequency range, an incident signal and / or beam having a specific power or within a specific range of power, mechanical adjustment and / or movement (e.g., controlled via an electrically controlled motor, actuator, and / or the like), temperature of the nanophotonic element, an electro-optic effect, an acousto-optic effect, a photoelastic effect, and / or the like).

[0093] In various embodiments, the signal manipulation element is configured to have two or more manipulation signals incident thereon and to be induced to emit respective guiding signals and / or beams in response thereto. For example, a signal manipulation element can be configured to be induced to emit a first guiding signal in response to a first manipulation signal of a first wavelength and a first polarization incident thereon while in a first state, the first guiding signal having a wavelength corresponding to the first wavelength and a polarization corresponding to the first polarization and directed toward a first portion of the corresponding particle locations. The same signal manipulation element, in exemplary embodiments, is configured to be induced to emit a second guiding signal in response to a second manipulation signal of a second wavelength and a second polarization incident thereon while in a second state, the second guiding signal having a wavelength corresponding to the second wavelength and a polarization corresponding to the second polarization and directed toward a second portion of the corresponding particle locations and / or a different particle location.

[0094] In various embodiments, the first wavelength and the second wavelength are substantially the same, the first state and the second state are the same, and the first polarization and the second polarization are different. In exemplary embodiments, the first wavelength and the second wavelength are different, the first state and the second state are the same, and the first polarization and the second polarization are substantially the same. In exemplary embodiments, the first wavelength and the second wavelength are different, the first state and the second state are the same, and the first polarization and the second polarization are different. In exemplary embodiments, the first wavelength and the second wavelength are substantially the same, the first state and the second state are different, and the first polarization and the second polarization are substantially the same.

[0095] The first portion of particle locations and the second portion of particle locations may overlap or not overlap, as desired for the application. In various embodiments, the first manipulation signal and the second manipulation signal can be provided at least partially simultaneously. For example, the first manipulation signal and the second manipulation signal can be incident on the signal manipulation element simultaneously for at least a portion of the time that the first manipulation signal and / or the second manipulation signal is incident on the signal manipulation element. In an exemplary embodiment, the first manipulation signal and the second manipulation signal are provided separately (e.g., non-overlapping in time; this may be the case when the first state and the second state are different).

[0096] In various embodiments, the interaction control element is configured to be induced to emit a induced signal and / or beam in response to an incoming manipulation signal and / or an emitted signal within a corresponding wavelength range being incident thereon. For example, each function of the quantum computer and / or trapped particle system can be associated with one or more wavelengths. Thus, each signal manipulation element can correspond to one or more functions of the quantum computer and / or trapped particle system, where the one or more functions of the quantum computer and / or trapped particle system correspond to wavelengths within the wavelength range at which the respective signal manipulation element is configured to operate. In various embodiments, the state of the dynamic optical effect of the signal manipulation element can determine which function of the quantum computer and / or trapped particle system the signal manipulation element is currently configured to perform.

[0097] In various embodiments, each signal manipulation element is associated with one or more corresponding particle locations defined by the confinement assembly. In various embodiments, the one or more particle locations defined by the confinement assembly are associated with a signal manipulation element arrangement including a plurality of signal manipulation elements. In various embodiments, each signal manipulation element of the signal manipulation element arrangement associated with the confinement assembly is configured for use in performing one or more functions of the quantum computer and / or trapped particle system (e.g., photoionization, state preparation, qubit detection and / or readout, cooling, shelving, repumping, single qubit gate, two qubit gate, emission signal detection, and / or the like). For example, performing various functions of the quantum computer and / or trapped particle system can include use of manipulation signals and / or detection of stimulus signals of various wavelengths. The various signal manipulation elements and / or various states of the various signal manipulation elements are configured for use at different wavelengths, such that a particular signal manipulation element of the arrangement of signal manipulation elements is configured for use in performing one or more corresponding functions of the quantum computer and / or trapped particle system at a corresponding particle location.

[0098] In various embodiments, various incident signals and / or beams are generated near and / or by the particle. For example, the particle can emit a stimulus signal that is incident on the signal manipulation element and causes a guided signal to be emitted toward a corresponding collection location. In another example, the manipulation source can be at least partially formed and / or disposed on a first substrate on which the confinement assembly is formed and / or disposed. In another example, the manipulation source can be at least partially formed and / or disposed on a second substrate that is fixedly and / or controllably attached to the confinement assembly. In various embodiments, one or more manipulation sources at least partially formed and / or disposed on the first and / or second substrate include a non-coherent optical source. In various embodiments, one or more manipulation sources at least partially formed and / or disposed on the first and / or second substrate include a coherent optical source.

[0099] Conventionally, a laser beam is generated a predetermined distance from the ion trap and provided to a location within the ion trap by transmitting a laser beam parallel to the plane of the ion trap so that the laser beam is incident on ions within the ion trap. However, for ion traps that are two-dimensional and / or have greater dimensions, it is difficult to focus a laser beam on ions within the ion trap without clipping the edges of the ion trap. The larger the ion trap and the greater the number of ions within the trap, the more technically difficult it becomes to address a specific ion with a specific laser beam without disturbing other ions within the ion trap and with the necessary control over various aspects of the specific laser beam. Thus, a technical problem exists as to how to provide manipulation signals to particle locations defined by a confinement assembly that can be scaled by the size and / or dimensions of the confinement assembly and / or the number of particles trapped and / or confined by the confinement assembly.

[0100] Various embodiments provide technical solutions to these technical problems. In particular, in various embodiments, the manipulation signal is sent transversely (e.g., approximately perpendicularly, at an approximately 45-degree angle, and / or the like) to the plane of the containment assembly. For example, the manipulation signal is sent so that it is incident on the signal manipulation element and guides the signal manipulation element to emit a guidance signal directed toward the corresponding particle location. In other words, the signal management system of various embodiments uses the signal manipulation element to enable the manipulation signal to be provided transversely to the plane of the containment assembly.

[0101] Moreover, various embodiments provide signal manipulation elements having controllable optical effects. For example, the dynamically controllable optical effects are controlled and / or influenced by electrical signals, electric fields, incident signal and / or beam polarization, mechanical adjustment and / or movement (e.g., controlled via electrically controlled motors, actuators, and / or the like), temperature of the nanophotonic element, electro-optical effects, acousto-optical effects, photoelastic effects, and / or the like. The guided signal and / or beam is characterized at least in part by properties determined based on the state of the dynamically controllable optical effect of the signal manipulation element when the guided signal and / or beam is emitted by the signal manipulation element. Some non-limiting examples of properties of the guided signal and / or beam that may be determined based on the state of the dynamically controllable optical effect of the signal manipulation element include beam position / angle (direction of propagation of the guided signal / beam), focal length, polarization, phase, frequency, beam pattern, and power (e.g., amplitude), chromatic filtering, and / or the like.

[0102] The dynamically controllable optical effect of the signal manipulation element allows the signal manipulation element to be used for modulation control (e.g., switching signals and / or beams on and / or off, adjusting / optimizing the amplitude or power of signals and / or beams, adjusting / optimizing the optical phase of signals and / or beams, adjusting / optimizing the polarization of signals and / or beams, adjusting / optimizing the frequency of signals and / or beams, beam steering / switching, adjusting the focal length and / or focal shape, providing fully reconfigurable hologram projections, and / or the like).

[0103] Thus, various embodiments provide a technical solution to the technical problem of how to provide a manipulation signal to a particle position defined by a confinement assembly such that the manipulation signal is not sent parallel to the plane of the confinement assembly so that the manipulation signal can be effectively provided to a two-dimensional ion trap. Various embodiments provide a further technical solution by enabling the use of longer wavelength (e.g., infrared) manipulation signals used to generate a guidance signal of a desired frequency (e.g., visible and / or UV). Various embodiments provide a further technical solution by providing additional and configurable control over the application of the manipulation signal to the particle position.

[0104] Additionally, detecting the quantum state of a particle also presents challenges due to the large field of view required for optics to collect and / or detect signals emitted by particles in large and / or two-dimensional confinement assemblies. Various embodiments provide technical solutions to these technical problems by helping to collect and / or direct emitted signals such that the signals emitted by the particle are more efficiently captured, detected, and / or measured. For example, signal manipulation elements can be arranged and / or configured such that, in response to a stimulus signal emitted by the particle being incident on the signal manipulation elements, a guided signal and / or beam is emitted toward a respective collection location. In various embodiments, collection optics and / or photodetectors can be positioned at the collection locations such that information about the stimulus signal is captured. Thus, various embodiments provide a solution to the large field of view technical problem of determining the quantum state of a particle confined by a large and / or two-dimensional confinement assembly.

[0105] Exemplary Quantum Computing System Including a Quantum Object Confinement Assembly In various embodiments, signal manipulation elements including active nanophotonics with controllable optical effects are used to interact with particles and / or cause / mediate interactions between particles. In various embodiments, the particles are trapped and / or confined quantum objects (e.g., atoms, ions, groups of atoms and / or ions, molecules, quantum particles, and / or the like), qubits (e.g., of quantum processors and / or quantum computers), and / or the like. For example, in exemplary embodiments, the particles are trapped ions used as qubits in a quantum charge-coupled device (QCCD)-based quantum computer. FIG. 1 provides a schematic diagram of an exemplary QCCD-based quantum computing system 100 according to exemplary embodiments. Various other embodiments relate to quantum computers of various other architectures and / or other trapped particle systems.

[0106] 1 provides a schematic diagram of an exemplary quantum computing system 100 including a confinement assembly 200 (e.g., an ion trap and / or the like) according to an example embodiment. As shown in FIGS. 2-6, in various embodiments, the confinement assembly 200 includes and / or has associated therewith a signal management system that includes a plurality of signal manipulation elements. As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, 5, and 6, in various embodiments, the plurality of signal manipulation elements are formed and / or disposed on a surface of the confinement assembly and / or are at least partially embedded in a substrate on which the confinement assembly is formed and / or disposed.

[0107] In various embodiments, at least a portion of the signal manipulation elements formed and / or disposed on the surface of the confinement assembly are configured to be guided to emit a guided signal toward and / or focused onto a respective particle location in response to an incoming signal incident thereon. The incoming signal is at least a portion of a manipulation signal generated by manipulation source 60 of quantum computer 110. In various embodiments, at least one signal manipulation element formed and / or disposed on the surface of the confinement assembly is configured to be guided to emit a guided signal toward and / or focused onto a collection location corresponding to the respective particle location (e.g., having a corresponding collection optical element disposed thereat) in response to an emitted signal emitted by a particle located at the respective particle location being incident on the signal manipulation element. One or more characteristics of the guided signal are determined based on the state of the dynamically controllable optical effect of the signal manipulation element when the manipulation signal and / or stimulation signal is incident on the signal manipulation element and / or when the guided signal is emitted by the signal manipulation element. Some non-limiting examples of guided signal and / or beam characteristics that may be determined based on the state of the dynamically controllable optical effect of the signal manipulation element include beam position / angle (direction of propagation of the guided signal / beam), focal length, polarization, phase, frequency, beam pattern, and power (e.g., amplitude), chromatic filtering, and / or the like.

[0108] In various embodiments, quantum computing system 100 includes computing entity 10 and quantum computer 110. In various embodiments, quantum computer 110 includes controller 30, a cryostat and / or vacuum chamber 40 that surrounds confinement assembly 200 (e.g., an ion trap), and one or more manipulation sources 60. For example, cryostat and / or vacuum chamber 40 can be a pressure-controlled chamber. In exemplary embodiments, manipulation signals generated by manipulation source 60 are provided to the interior of cryostat and / or vacuum chamber 40 (where quantum object confinement assembly 200 is located) via corresponding optical paths 66 (e.g., 66A, 66B, 66C). In various embodiments, optical paths 66 are defined, at least in part, by one or more components and / or elements of a signal management system. For example, at least one of optical paths 66 includes and / or is partially defined by a signal manipulation element of the signal management system.

[0109] In exemplary embodiments, at least one manipulation source 60 is disposed within the cryostat and / or vacuum chamber 40. For example, in exemplary embodiments, one or more manipulation sources 60 are formed and / or disposed at least partially on and / or in a first substrate on which the confinement assembly 200 is formed and / or disposed, and / or on a second substrate, which is fixedly and / or controllably mounted relative to the confinement assembly 200 within the cryostat and / or vacuum chamber 40.

[0110] In exemplary embodiments, one or more manipulation sources 60 can include one or more coherent optical sources and / or one or more incoherent optical sources. For example, in exemplary embodiments, one or more manipulation sources 60 include one or more lasers (e.g., optical lasers, microwave sources, VECSELs, VCSELs, and / or the like). In various embodiments, each manipulation source 60 is configured to generate a manipulation signal having a respective characteristic wavelength in the microwave, infrared, visible, or ultraviolet portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. In various embodiments, one or more manipulation sources 60 are configured to manipulate and / or induce a controlled quantum state evolution of one or more particles confined and / or trapped by confinement assembly 200. For example, in an exemplary embodiment, one or more manipulation sources 60 include one or more lasers capable of providing one or more laser beams (e.g., as manipulation signals) to particles confined and / or trapped by confinement assembly 200 within cryostat and / or vacuum chamber 40.

[0111] For example, manipulation source 60 generates a manipulation signal that is provided as an incoming signal to an appropriate signal manipulation element of the signal management system. An incoming signal incident on a signal manipulation element, such as an active metamaterial array (e.g., having one or more dynamically controllable optical effects), induces multiple metamaterial structures of the metamaterial array to emit a guided signal that is directed toward and / or focused on a corresponding particle location in the containment assembly. For example, manipulation source 60 can be configured to generate one or more manipulation signals and / or beams that can be used to initialize particles into states in qubit space so that the particles can be used as qubits in quantum computer 110, perform one or more gates on one or more qubits in quantum computer 110, read out and / or determine the states of one or more qubits in quantum computer 110, and / or the like.

[0112] In various embodiments, the manipulation signal is configured to cause one or more particles to perform various functions of quantum computer 110 and / or other trapped particle systems. An exemplary function that may be performed on a particle is photoionization of a quantum object. For example, a manipulation signal may be applied to a particle (e.g., via one or more signal manipulation elements) to photoionize the particle.

[0113] Another exemplary function that can be performed on a particle is state preparation of the particle. For example, one or more manipulation signals can be applied to the particle (e.g., via one or more signal manipulation elements) to prepare the particle in a particular quantum state. For example, the particular quantum state can be a state within a defined qubit space used by a quantum computer such that the particle can be used as a qubit in the quantum computer.

[0114] Another exemplary function that can be performed on a particle is reading out the quantum state of the particle. For example, a manipulation signal (e.g., a readout signal) can be applied to the particle (e.g., via one or more signal manipulation elements). When the particle's wave function collapses to a first state in the qubit space, the particle will fluoresce in response to the readout signal being applied thereto. When the particle's wave function collapses to a second state in the qubit space, the particle will not fluoresce in response to the readout signal being applied thereto.

[0115] Another exemplary function that can be performed on a particle is cooling the particle or a particle crystal containing the particle. A particle crystal is a pair or set of particles, where one of the particles of the particle crystal is a qubit particle used as a quantum bit in a quantum computer, and one or more other particles of the particle crystal are used to perform sympathetic cooling of the qubit particle. For example, a manipulation signal (e.g., a cooling signal or a sympathetic cooling signal) can be applied to the particle or particle crystal (e.g., via one or more signal manipulation elements) to cause the (qubit) particle to cool (e.g., reduce the vibrational energy and / or other kinetic energy of the (qubit) particle).

[0116] Another exemplary function that can be performed on a particle is shelving the particle. In various embodiments, a particle in a second state of the qubit space can be shelved during performance of a readout function. For example, the shelving operation can include causing the quantum state of the particle in the second state of the qubit space to evolve to at least a metastable state outside of the qubit space while the readout operation is being performed. An exemplary shelving process is described by U.S. Application No. 63 / 200,263, filed February 25, 2021, although various other shelving processes can also be used in various embodiments. In various embodiments, shelving of the particle is performed by applying one or more manipulation signals to the particle (e.g., via one or more signal manipulation elements) to cause the quantum state of the particle to evolve to at least a metastable state outside of the qubit space while the particle is in the second state of the qubit space.

[0117] Another exemplary function that can be performed on a particle is (optical) repumping of the particle. In various embodiments, repumping of the particle involves applying one or more manipulation signals to the particle (e.g., via one or more signal manipulation elements) to cause the quantum state of the particle to evolve to an excited state.

[0118] Another exemplary function that can be performed on a particle is to perform a single qubit gate on the particle. For example, one or more manipulation signals can be applied to the particle (e.g., via one or more signal manipulation elements) to perform a single qubit quantum gate on the particle.

[0119] Another exemplary function that can be performed on a particle is to perform a two-qubit gate on the particle. For example, one or more manipulation signals can be applied (e.g., via one or more signal manipulation elements) to a pair or set of particles that includes the particle to perform a two-qubit (or three, four, or more qubit) quantum gate on the particle and at least one other particle.

[0120] In various embodiments, quantum computer 110 includes an optics collection system 70 configured to collect and / or detect photons generated by a qubit (e.g., during a readout procedure). Optics collection system 70 may include one or more optical elements (e.g., lenses, mirrors, waveguides, fiber optic cables, and / or the like) and one or more photodetectors. In various embodiments, the photodetectors may be photodiodes, photomultiplier tubes, charge-coupled device (CCD) sensors, complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensors, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) sensors, and / or other photodetectors sensitive to light at the expected fluorescence wavelengths of the quantum computer's qubits. In various embodiments, the detectors may be in electronic communication with controller 30 via one or more A / D converters 1425 (see FIG. 14 ) and / or the like. For example, a particle being readout and / or a particle whose quantum state is being determined can emit a stimulus signal, at least a portion of which is incident on a signal manipulation element of the signal management system. The incident signal incident on the signal manipulation element stimulates the signal manipulation element to emit a stimulated signal, which is directed towards and / or focused onto collection optics of the confinement assembly and positioned at a collection location corresponding to the particle position occupied by the particle. The collection optics is configured to provide the collected signal to a photodetector.

[0121] In various embodiments, quantum computer 110 includes one or more voltage sources 50. For example, voltage sources 50 may include multiple voltage drivers and / or voltage sources and / or at least one RF driver and / or voltage source. Voltage sources 50 may, in exemplary embodiments, be electrically coupled to corresponding potential-generating elements (e.g., electrodes) of confinement assembly 200.

[0122] In various embodiments, computing entity 10 is configured to enable a user to provide input to quantum computer 110 (e.g., via a user interface of computing entity 10) and receive, view, and / or the like, output from quantum computer 110. Computing entity 10 may be in communication with a controller 30 of quantum computer 110 via one or more wired or wireless networks 20 and / or via direct wired and / or wireless communication. In exemplary embodiments, computing entity 10 may be capable of translating, structuring, formatting, and / or the like, information / data, quantum computing algorithms and / or circuits, and / or the like, into a computing language, executable instructions, command set, and / or the like that can be understood and / or implemented by controller 30.

[0123] In various embodiments, controller 30 is configured to control voltage supply 50, a cryostat system and / or vacuum system that controls the temperature and pressure within cryostat and / or vacuum chamber 40, manipulation source 60, optics collection system 70, the state of various signal manipulation elements, and / or various environmental conditions (e.g., temperature, pressure, and / or the like) within cryostat and / or vacuum chamber 40, and / or other systems configured to manipulate and / or cause controlled evolution of the quantum state of one or more particles within the confinement assembly. For example, controller 30 can cause controlled evolution of the quantum state of one or more particles within the confinement assembly to execute a quantum circuit and / or algorithm. For example, controller 30 can cause a readout procedure, possibly including coherent shelving, to be performed as part of executing a quantum circuit and / or algorithm. In various embodiments, particles confined within the confinement assembly are used as qubits in quantum computer 110.

[0124] Exemplary Signal Management System In various embodiments, the signal management system is configured to control the provision and / or collection of signals to and / or from each particle location defined by the confinement assembly 200. In various embodiments, the signal management system defines optical paths used to provide signals to each particle location and / or collection location. The optical paths include respective signal manipulation elements. In various embodiments, the signal manipulation elements are configured to allow the optical paths to be transverse to the surface 208 (see FIG. 2 ) of the confinement assembly 200.

[0125] Various embodiments are disclosed in which the surface 208 of the confinement assembly 200 includes one or more signal manipulation elements. For example, in various embodiments, the surface 208 of the confinement assembly 200 includes an arrangement of signal manipulation elements for each particle location 250 defined by the confinement assembly 200. Various embodiments are disclosed in which the first substrate 205 on which the confinement assembly 200 is formed is transparent at one or more wavelengths and / or includes waveguides and / or vias through which the incoming manipulation signal and / or the outgoing guidance signal can propagate. Various embodiments are disclosed in which the second substrate 405 is mounted in a fixed and / or controllable relationship with respect to the confinement assembly 200, and the signal manipulation element (and / or arrangement of signal manipulation elements) is formed and / or disposed on the surface of the second substrate (see an example of such in FIG. 4).

[0126] In various embodiments, the signal manipulation element comprises an active nanophotonics device, component, surface, array, and / or the like. Some exemplary active nanophotonics devices, components, surfaces, arrays, and / or the like include metasurfaces with dynamically controllable optical effects, metamaterials, photonic crystals, diffractive optical elements, microfabricated surfaces configured to perform signal manipulation functions (e.g., reflection, refraction, diffraction, and / or the like), and / or the like. In various embodiments, one or more characteristics of the guided signal emitted by the signal manipulation element are determined based on the state of the dynamically controllable optical effect of the nanophotonics device, component, surface, array, and / or the like of the signal manipulation element. Some non-limiting examples of characteristics of guided signals and / or beams that may be determined based on the state of the dynamically controllable optical effect of a nanophotonics device, component, surface, array of signal manipulation elements, and / or the like (also referred to herein as the state of the dynamically controllable optical effect of a signal manipulation element) include beam position / angle (direction of propagation of the guided signal / beam), focal length, polarization, phase, frequency, beam pattern, and power (e.g., amplitude), and / or the like.

[0127] 2 and 3 illustrate exemplary embodiments in which signal manipulation elements 220 are formed, deposited, and / or disposed on surface 208 of confinement assembly 200. FIG. 2 illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of confinement assembly 200 in which signal manipulation elements 220 are used to apply manipulation signals to particle locations 250. For example, controller 30 controls one or more manipulation sources 60 to generate the manipulation signals. The manipulation signals are provided to confinement assembly 200 as incoming and / or incident signals 260 that propagate transversely to a plane defined by surface 208 of confinement assembly 200 such that incoming and / or incident signals 260 are incident on signal manipulation elements 220. Incoming and / or incident signals 260 incident on signal manipulation elements 220 cause respective guided signals 265 to be emitted toward corresponding particle locations 250. For example, induced signal 265 is incident on particle 5 located at particle location 250. For example, signal manipulation element 220 shown in FIG. 2 is an action element. As used herein, an action element is a signal manipulation element configured to provide a induced action signal to a respective particle location in response to an incoming signal generated by manipulation source 60 incident on the action element. In the illustrated embodiment, the action element is formed on a portion of surface 208 of containment assembly 200.

[0128] Signal manipulation element 220 includes active nanophotonics having a dynamically controllable optical effect. In an exemplary embodiment, the dynamically controllable optical effect of signal manipulation element 220 is configured such that the state of the dynamically controllable optical effect can be changed, adjusted, modified, controlled, and / or the like by applying an electrical signal to at least a portion of signal manipulation element 220. For example, vias 210 are defined, formed, and / or etched through first substrate 205, allowing lead lines and / or control lines 215 to provide control electrical signals to signal manipulation element 220. For example, controller 30 can control voltage supply 50 to apply the control electrical signals to signal manipulation element 220 via control lines 215 extending through vias 210.

[0129] As should be understood, the various dynamically controllable optical effects are controlled through a variety of means. For example, in various embodiments, the dynamically controllable optical effects are controlled and / or influenced by electrical signals, electric fields, magnetic fields, incident signal and / or beam polarization, incident signal and / or beam frequency, incident signal and / or beam power, mechanical adjustment and / or movement (e.g., controlled via electrically controlled motors, actuators, and / or the like), temperature of the nanophotonic elements, electro-optical effects, acousto-optical effects, photoelastic effects, and / or the like. First substrate 205 can be modified as needed for the application and / or can include components configured to enable control of the dynamically controllable optical effects by controller 30 (possibly via one or more intervening components such as voltage supply 50 and / or the like), for example.

[0130] 3 illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of confinement assembly 200, in which signal manipulation elements 220 are used to collect emission signals and / or stimulation signals generated by particles 5 at respective particle locations 250. For example, during a qubit readout function, particles 5 positioned at particle locations 250 can be caused to emit emission signals and / or stimulation signals 270. At least a portion of the emission signals and / or stimulation signals 270 are incident on signal manipulation elements 220. At least a portion of the emission signals and / or stimulation signals 270 incident on signal manipulation elements 220 cause induced collection signals 275 to be emitted from signal manipulation elements 220 toward corresponding collection locations 255. In various embodiments, collection optics are positioned and / or disposed at collection locations 255. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the collection optics includes one or more optical elements, such as a collection lens 330 configured to couple at least a portion of the collected signal 275 into the collection fiber 310.

[0131] 3 is a collection element. As used herein, a collection element is a signal manipulation element 220 configured to provide a induced collection signal 275 to a corresponding collection location 255 in response to an emission signal and / or stimulus signal 270 emitted by a particle positioned at the corresponding particle location being incident on the collection element. In various embodiments, the collection element is configured to provide a induced collection signal (in response to the emission signal being incident thereon) that is collimated toward, focused at, and / or the like, collection optics positioned at the collection location 255 corresponding to the respective particle location 250.

[0132] In various embodiments, the collecting elements are generally disposed between the corresponding particle locations 250 and the surface 208 of the confinement assembly 200. In various embodiments, the collecting elements are configured to collect emission signals and / or stimulation signals 270 from a large solid angle around each particle location 250. For example, the collecting elements can be positioned and sized to collect and / or be incident on emission signals and / or stimulation signals emitted into and / or approaching approximately 2π steradians. For example, from the perspective of the particle location 250, the collecting elements can encompass a solid angle greater than π, 1.25π, 1.5π, 1.75π, and / or approximately 2π steradians around the particle location 250.

[0133] 4 illustrates another configuration in which a second substrate 405 having one or more signal manipulation elements 420 (e.g., 420A, 420B, 420C) formed and / or disposed on and / or within the second substrate 405 is mounted in a fixed and / or controllable relationship to the confinement assembly 200 such that a manipulation signal can be provided to the particle location 250 via each signal manipulation element 420 of the second substrate 405. For example, one or more action elements 420A, 420B are formed and / or disposed on the first surface 408 of the second substrate 405 in an exemplary embodiment. For example, one or more collection elements 420C are formed and / or disposed on the first surface 408 of the second substrate 405 in an exemplary embodiment. In an exemplary embodiment, one or more action elements 420A, 420B and / or collection elements 420C are recessed and / or formed in the second substrate 405. The signal manipulation elements 420 are transparent signal manipulation elements. In an exemplary embodiment, the signal manipulation elements 420 are formed on and / or in the second surface 402 of the second substrate 405 (e.g., between the second surface 402 and the first surface 408).

[0134] In various embodiments, second substrate 405 is transparent to light of various wavelengths, including wavelengths that can be used to perform one or more functions of a quantum computer or other trapped particle system and / or wavelengths of emission and / or stimulation signals. For example, second substrate 405 is transparent to light of various wavelengths that characterize respective manipulation signals used by a quantum computer or other trapped particle system in exemplary embodiments. In exemplary embodiments, second substrate 405 includes waveguides, vias, and / or the like that allow light to pass through the second substrate from second surface 402 of second substrate 405 to first surface 408 of second substrate 405, where first surface 408 of second substrate 405 faces confinement assembly 200.

[0135] For example, a manipulation signal is provided to the confinement assembly 200 via the second surface 402 of the second substrate 405. The manipulation signal propagates through the second substrate 405 from the second surface 402 to the first surface 408 (e.g., through the bulk material of the second substrate 405, a waveguide, a via, and / or the like). The manipulation signal is incident on each action element 420A, 420B. For example, the signal manipulation element 420 is an active nanophotonic lens, which may be a lens, a lenticular photonic metasurface, and / or the like. For example, the action elements 420A, 420B act and / or function as a lens, resulting in the action signal being incident on the particle 5 positioned at the particle location 250. In various embodiments, action elements 420A, 420B cause each action signal to have a particular polarization, phase, beam profile (e.g., beam spot size at particle location 250, intensity profile across the beam at particle location, and / or the like), and / or the like. As the action signals impinge on and / or pass through particle location 250, the action signals reflect off surface 208 of confinement assembly 200. In an exemplary embodiment, an area of ​​second surface 402 corresponding to particle location 250 is illuminated with one or more manipulation signals, and action elements 420A, 420B perform chromatic filtering such that the appropriate action signal is provided to particle location 250 in a manner appropriate for the function being performed.

[0136] In various cases, a particle 5 positioned at a particle location 250 can emit an emission signal and / or a stimulation signal 270. The emission signal is incident on a collecting element 420C. The collecting element 420C acts as a lens and provides a focused and / or collimated collected signal 275 through the second substrate 405 (e.g., through the bulk material, waveguides, vias, and / or the like of the second substrate 405) from its first surface 408 to its second surface 402. Collection optics 430 can be disposed proximate the second surface 402 of the second substrate 405 such that the collected signal 275 is incident on the collection optics 430 corresponding to the particle location 250 to enable detection of the emission signal and / or the stimulation signal.

[0137] In an exemplary embodiment, the action elements are disposed and / or formed on the second substrate 405, as shown in Figure 4, and the collecting elements are disposed and / or formed on the first substrate 205 (e.g., on the surface 208 of the containment assembly 200), similar to that shown in Figure 3. In an exemplary embodiment, the action elements are disposed and / or formed on the first substrate 205 (e.g., on the surface 208 of the containment assembly 200), similar to that shown in Figure 2, and the collecting elements are formed on the second substrate 405, as shown in Figure 4. In another exemplary embodiment, some of the action elements are disposed and / or formed on the first substrate 205, and some of the action elements are disposed and / or formed on the second substrate 405. For example, the first substrate 205 can be transparent to light characterized by wavelengths in a first wavelength range, and the second substrate 405 can be transparent to light characterized by wavelengths in a second wavelength range. Action elements (and / or other signal manipulation elements) corresponding to wavelengths in the first wavelength range can be formed and / or disposed on the first substrate 205 such that corresponding manipulation signals can propagate through the first substrate to the respective action elements, and action elements (and / or other signal manipulation elements) corresponding to wavelengths in the second wavelength range can be formed and / or disposed on the second substrate 405 such that corresponding manipulation signals can propagate through the second substrate to the respective action elements.

[0138] In various embodiments, at least some of the signal manipulation elements 420 include active nanophotonics having dynamically controllable optical effects. In exemplary embodiments, the dynamically controllable optical effects of the signal manipulation elements 420 are configured such that the state of the dynamically controllable optical effect can be changed, adjusted, modified, controlled, and / or the like by applying an electrical signal to at least a portion of the signal manipulation elements 420. For example, vias 410 are defined, formed, and / or etched in the second substrate 405 to enable signal lines 415 to provide control electrical signals to the signal manipulation elements 420. For example, the controller 30 can control the voltage supply 50 to apply the control electrical signals to the signal manipulation elements 420 via the signal lines 415 extending through the vias 410. In another example, the signal lines 415 may be formed as leads and / or traces on the first surface 408 of the second substrate such that the signal lines 415 are in electrical communication with and / or operatively connected to the signal manipulation elements 420 and the controller 30 (e.g., possibly via a voltage supply 50 and / or the like).

[0139] At least one of the signal manipulation elements 220, 420 comprises active nanophotonics, such as metasurfaces, metamaterials, photonic crystals, diffractive optical elements, microfabricated surfaces configured to perform signal manipulation functions (e.g., reflection, refraction, diffraction, and / or the like), having dynamically controllable optical effects. In various embodiments, the dynamically controllable optical effects of the signal manipulation elements are controlled and / or influenced by changes in one or more physical parameters of the signal manipulation element and / or by changes in one or more physical parameters affecting the signal manipulation element. Some exemplary physical parameters that can be used to control and / or influence the state of the dynamically controllable optical effect of the signal manipulation element, in various embodiments, include electrical signals, electric fields, incident signal and / or beam polarization, mechanical adjustment and / or movement (e.g., controlled via electrically controlled motors, actuators, and / or the like), temperature of the nanophotonic element, electro-optical effect, acousto-optical effect, photoelastic effect, and / or the like.

[0140] In various embodiments, at least one signal manipulation element 220, 420 includes an active metasurface. In various embodiments, the active metasurface is coated and / or encapsulated with an encapsulating material. The optical effect of the active metasurface strongly depends on the refractive index contrast between the metasurface and the encapsulating material. Therefore, modifying the refractive index of the metasurface and / or the encapsulating material results in a change in the state of the dynamically controllable optical effect of the corresponding signal manipulation element.

[0141] In various embodiments, the metasurface is a solid-state metasurface, and the refractive index of the metasurface or encapsulating material is modifiable and / or controlled by electrically or optically modifying the concentration of free charge carriers in the bulk material of the metasurface or encapsulating material. For example, the state of the dynamically controllable optical effect of a corresponding signal manipulation element can be modified and / or controlled through the application of a control electrical signal and / or a control optical signal. For example, in exemplary embodiments, at least one signal manipulation element 220, 420 includes a passive metasurface and a metasurface cladding and / or substrate portion on which the metasurface is formed and / or disposed, where the cladding or substrate portion has controllable optical properties (e.g., a controllable refractive index). For example, in exemplary embodiments, at least one signal manipulation element includes a passive metasurface and an optically active cladding and / or is formed on an optically active substrate portion (e.g., the cladding and / or substrate portion has a dynamically controllable refractive index).

[0142] In various embodiments, the encapsulating material of the metasurface is a liquid crystal material whose refractive index can be modified through application of a control electrical signal to the signal manipulation element.

[0143] In various embodiments, the metasurface and / or encapsulating material comprises a phase-change material (e.g., vanadium dioxide (VO)) with a refractive index that is temperature-dependent or electrical or optical interaction-dependent. For example, the state of the dynamically controllable optical effect of the corresponding signal manipulation element can be modified and / or controlled through the application of a control electrical signal, a control electric field, a control magnetic field, and / or a control optical signal to the signal manipulation element, or by controlling the temperature of the signal manipulation element.

[0144] In various embodiments, various electro-optic, acousto-optic, or photoelastic effects are used to control the refractive index of the metasurface and / or encapsulating material as needed for the application. For example, the signal manipulation element, in exemplary embodiments, can include an array of metasurface elements (e.g., pillars and / or holes), a surface or substrate on which the metasurface elements are formed, and / or cladding disposed around and / or between the metasurface elements (or within the metasurface elements, if the metasurface elements are holes). The electro-optic, acousto-optic, or photoelastic effect can affect the refractive index of the metasurface elements, the surface or substrate on which the metasurface elements are formed, and / or the cladding. For example, in exemplary embodiments, the cladding is a liquid crystal cladding, where the refractive index of the liquid crystal cladding can be modified and / or controlled via application of an electric or magnetic field thereto.

[0145] In various embodiments, one or more physical parameters of the active nanophotonics of the signal manipulation element are altered through mechanical deformation. For example, when the active nanophotonics includes an active metasurface, the physical size of the metasurface elements (e.g., pillars and / or holes) and / or the spacing of the metasurface elements can be modified to control the state of the dynamically controllable optical effect of the signal manipulation element.

[0146] For example, in exemplary embodiments, the piezoelectric effect or material thermal expansion is used to modify the size, shape, and / or spacing of the metasurface elements of the metasurface of the exemplary signal manipulation element.

[0147] In another example, the metasurface is coated and / or encapsulated by an elastic and / or resilient encapsulating material, and mechanical strain can be applied to the elastic and / or resilient encapsulating material (e.g., the material can be pulled / stretched and / or compressed in one or more directions) to control the state of the dynamically controllable optical effect of the signal manipulation element.

[0148] In exemplary embodiments, the relative tilt of the metasurface (e.g., with respect to the surface 208 of the first substrate 205 or the first surface 408 of the second substrate 405) can be used to control the angle of incidence of a signal incident on the signal manipulation element. For example, controlling the angle of incidence of a signal incident on the signal manipulation element can be used to modify the metasurface effect (e.g., to control the state of the dynamically controllable optical effect of the signal manipulation element) and / or to implement beam steering. In various embodiments, the relative tilt of the signal manipulation element and / or its metasurface is implemented macroscopically (e.g., by macroscopic actuators, motors, and / or the like) or using microelectromechanical systems (MEMS).

[0149] In various embodiments, one or more physical parameters of the active nanophotonics of the signal manipulation element are altered through polarization rotation of an incident signal and / or beam. For example, the state of the dynamically controllable optical effect of the signal manipulation element is determined based on the polarization of the signal and / or beam incident on the signal manipulation element. For example, an exemplary metasurface of the signal manipulation element is configured and / or designed to have a polarization-dependent effect. For example, an exemplary metasurface is configured and / or designed to focus light at an off-axis angle of +10 degrees for a signal or beam having a first polarization and at an off-axis angle of −10 degrees for a signal or beam having a second polarization, where the first polarization and the second polarization are orthogonal to each other. Thus, the state of the dynamically controllable optical effect of the signal manipulation element can be controlled by adjusting the polarization of the incident signal. For example, the polarization of the incident signal or beam can be used to selectively distribute a guided signal between two focal points. This can be used for amplitude adjustment, switching between providing a stimulating signal to two different particle locations, effective beam steering, and / or the like.

[0150] In various embodiments, one or more physical parameters of the active nanophotonics of the signal manipulation element are altered in response to the power or power range of the incident signal and / or the frequency and / or frequency range present in the incident signal. For example, exemplary metasurfaces of the signal manipulation element are configured and / or designed to have frequency- and / or power-dependent effects. For example, exemplary metasurfaces can be configured and / or designed to focus light at an off-axis angle of +10 degrees for signals or beams characterized by a frequency profile within a particular frequency range and at an off-axis angle of −10 degrees for signals or beams characterized by a frequency profile not within the particular frequency range.

[0151] In various embodiments, one or more physical parameters of the active nanophotonics of the signal manipulation element are altered through variable optical loss. In various embodiments, a material with tunable optical absorption is used, for example, to modulate the amplitude of a guided signal or beam and / or to switch the guided signal between "on" and "off." In exemplary embodiments, for example, VO2, an exemplary phase-change material with an insulating-to-metal transition, is used to enable variable optical loss control of the state of the dynamically controllable optical effect of the signal manipulation element. For example, when a phase-change material (e.g., VO2) undergoes a phase transition, the optical absorption over a wide wavelength range changes substantially, and the phase transition can be used to control the dynamically controllable optical effect of a signal manipulation element comprising the phase-change material.

[0152] The dynamically controllable optical effect of the signal manipulation element allows the signal manipulation element to be used for modulation control (e.g., switching signals and / or beams on and / or off, adjusting / optimizing the amplitude or power of signals and / or beams, adjusting / optimizing the optical phase of signals and / or beams, adjusting / optimizing the polarization of signals and / or beams, adjusting / optimizing the frequency of signals and / or beams, beam steering / switching, adjusting the focal length and / or focal shape, providing fully reconfigurable hologram projections, and / or the like).

[0153] For example, in various embodiments, the state of a dynamically controllable optical effect of a signal manipulation element can be used as a modulator to pass a signal to a corresponding particle position (e.g., provide a guiding signal to the particle position) or reject the signal (e.g., do not provide a guiding signal to the particle position). For example, in an exemplary embodiment, a single manipulation source can be coupled to several signal manipulation elements, and the state of each of the signal manipulation elements (e.g., its dynamically controllable optical effect) is used to control which particle position a guiding beam is applied to and / or provided to. Such a feature can be particularly useful with large confinement assemblies that confine and / or trap multiple particles therein. In another example, the manipulation signal generated by the manipulation source 60 can be split into multiple signals and / or beams. The signal manipulation elements 220, 420 can be used to control the amplitude, phase, frequency, and polarization of the guiding signals and / or beams incident on the particle 5 at each particle position 250. In various embodiments, the state of the dynamically controllable optical effect resulting in such modulation effects is controlled through adjustable transmittance / reflectance and / or adjustable absorption of the signal manipulation element.

[0154] In various embodiments, the state of a dynamically controllable optical effect of a signal manipulation element can be used as a modulator to control, adjust, optimize, and / or the like, the amplitude or optical power of a guided signal or beam. For example, a signal manipulation source can be used to provide incoming signals or beams to multiple signal manipulation elements, with the amplitude or optical power of each guided signal or beam being controlled based on the respective state of the dynamically controllable optical effect of each signal manipulation element. For example, the amplitude or optical power of a guided signal or beam provided to a particle location in coordination with another guided signal or beam provided to the same particle location (e.g., to perform a two-qubit gate or other function requiring coordinated provisioning of multiple manipulation signals) can be controlled and / or balanced according to functional requirements. In various embodiments, the state of the dynamically controllable optical effect resulting in such amplitude and / or optical power control effect is controlled through adjustable transmittance / reflectance and / or adjustable absorption of the signal manipulation element.

[0155] In various embodiments, the state of the dynamically controllable optical effect of the signal manipulation element can be used as a modulator to control, adjust, optimize, and / or the like, the phase of a guiding signal or beam. For example, the state of the dynamically controllable optical effect of the signal manipulation element is used to control the phase of a guiding signal applied to a particle position. In an exemplary embodiment, the phase control, adjustment, and / or optimization of the manipulation signal can be used to generate an amplitude modulation effect through interference (constructive or destructive) with another coherent signal and / or beam.

[0156] In various embodiments, the dynamically controllable optical effect state of the signal manipulation element can be used as a modulator to control, adjust, optimize, and / or the like, the polarization of a guided signal or beam. Various particle interactions are strongly dependent on the polarization of the signal or beam incident on the particle. In various embodiments, the signal manipulation element provides active fine-tuning control of the polarization of the guided signal. In exemplary embodiments, control of the polarization of the guided signal or beam is used as an alternative to amplitude modulation for polarization-dependent interactions.

[0157] In various embodiments, the state of the dynamically controllable optical effect of the signal manipulation element can be used as a modulator to control, adjust, optimize, and / or the like, the frequency / wavelength of the guided signal or beam. For example, the frequency of the guided signal can be modified and / or adjusted from the frequency of the incoming manipulation signal to the frequency needed to achieve the desired interaction. For example, the signal manipulation element can be used to perform selective frequency upconversion and / or downconversion. In exemplary embodiments, the dynamically controllable optical effect of the signal manipulation element, which affects the frequency of the guided signal or beam relative to the frequency of the incident signal or beam, is controlled through the time-varying, nonlinear response of the material of the signal manipulation element to a control signal (e.g., a control electrical signal generated by voltage source 50).

[0158] In various embodiments, the state of the dynamically controllable optical effect of the signal manipulation element can be used to control one or more reconfigurable effects of the guided signal or beam. For example, the state of the dynamically controllable optical effect of the signal manipulation element is used to perform beam steering and / or beam switching in various embodiments. For example, a single signal manipulation element is used to address multiple particle locations in exemplary embodiments. For example, based on the state of the dynamically controllable optical effect of the signal manipulation element, the signal manipulation element is configured to provide a guidance signal to one or more of the multiple particle locations corresponding to the signal manipulation element. In exemplary embodiments, such a signal manipulation element 420 is formed and / or disposed on the second substrate 405 and configured to provide a guidance signal to a corresponding particle location 250 or to a signal manipulation element 220 formed and / or disposed on the first substrate 205. For example, the first signal manipulation element 420 can distribute the manipulation signal to the second signal manipulation element 220, which modulates various characteristics of the manipulation signal and provides the modulated manipulation signal to each particle location 250. In an exemplary embodiment, beam steering is used to optimize beam alignment so that the guidance signal is aligned with the appropriate portion of the particle location 250. For example, beam steering is used to compensate for and / or adjust for fabrication and / or design errors in the alignment. In an exemplary embodiment, beam steering is used to select whether or not a particular manipulation signal is provided to a particular particle location.

[0159] In various embodiments, the state of the dynamically controllable optical effect of the signal manipulation element can be used to control the angle at which the guided signal and / or beam propagates. For example, the angle at which the guided signal propagates can be controlled through the use of an encapsulant having an adjustable, controllable, and / or dynamically configurable refractive index. For example, a waveguide or manipulation source can be disposed below the surface 208 of the first substrate 205, and the waveguide or manipulation source can be configured to provide a manipulation signal to the particle position at non-normal incidence. A signal manipulation element having an adjustable, controllable, and / or dynamically configurable refractive index can be used to steer the manipulation signal toward the appropriate particle position. The adjustable, controllable, and / or dynamically configurable refractive index of the signal manipulation element can further be used to fine-tune and / or optimize particle interactions, to compensate for fabrication, design, and / or alignment errors, and / or the like.

[0160] In various embodiments, the state of the dynamically controllable optical effect of the signal manipulation element can be used to control and / or adjust the focal length and / or focal shape and / or beam profile of the guided signal or beam. In exemplary embodiments, focal length, focal shape, and / or beam profile control is used to fine-tune the interaction between guided signal 265 and particle 5 positioned at particle position 250, e.g., to maximize particle interaction, to account for alignment and / or fabrication errors, and / or the like. In exemplary embodiments, focal length, focal shape, and / or beam profile control is used to adjust the intensity and / or power of the guided signal that intersects the absorption cross section of particle 5, thereby adjusting the amplitude. In various embodiments, the control over and / or ability to adjust the focal length and / or focal shape and / or beam profile of the guided signal or beam reduces the optical power requirements of the incoming manipulation signal, providing additional technical and power consumption advantages.

[0161] In various embodiments, control over the state of the dynamically controllable optical effects of the signal manipulation elements is used to generate fully reconfigurable holographic projections of one or more manipulation signals. For example, a combination of beam steering and / or switching optical effects with adjustable focal lengths and / or focal shapes and / or beam profiles can be used to provide fully reconfigurable holographic projections of one or more manipulation signals. For example, in exemplary embodiments, fully reconfigurable projection optics allows an initial manipulation signal (e.g., generated by manipulation source 60) to independently address, impinge on, and / or interact with multiple particle positions 250.

[0162] In various embodiments, the modulation and reconfigurability effects of beam steering / switching and adjustable focal length, focal shape, and / or beam profile are used to generate and / or provide a signal management system that allows for the use of larger numbers of particles in larger containment assemblies and / or systems.

[0163] In various embodiments, one or more manipulation sources 60 are positioned within the cryostat and / or vacuum chamber 40. For example, in various embodiments, one or more manipulation sources are formed and / or disposed on the first substrate 205 (on which the confinement assembly is formed and / or disposed) or on the second substrate. Figure 5 illustrates an exemplary embodiment in which the manipulation source 60 is a VECSEL 550, which is formed partially on and / or in the second substrate 500 and partially on the first substrate 205. Figure 6 illustrates an exemplary embodiment in which the manipulation source 60 is a VCSEL 630, which is formed on or in the first substrate 205. In an exemplary embodiment, the manipulation source 60, which is a VCSEL, can be formed on and / or in the second substrate 405, 500. In various embodiments, the VECSEL 550 and / or the VCSEL 630 include and / or are associated with one or more manipulation signal elements that include active nanophotonics having dynamically controllable optical effects.

[0164] In various embodiments, having manipulation source 60 at least partially formed and / or disposed on first substrate 205 (on which confinement assembly 200 is formed and / or disposed) and / or on a second substrate mounted in fixed and / or controllable relationship relative to first substrate 205 simplifies the optical path required to provide manipulation signals to particle 5. In various embodiments, having manipulation source 60 at least partially formed and / or disposed on first substrate 205 (on which confinement assembly 200 is formed and / or disposed) and / or on a second substrate mounted in fixed and / or controllable relationship relative to first substrate 205 can also reduce the overall size of quantum computer 110 and / or other trapped particle systems by reducing the number of manipulation sources 60 required that are located outside of cryostat and / or vacuum chamber 40.

[0165] In various embodiments, manipulation source 60 formed and / or disposed on first substrate 205 and / or on a second substrate mounted in a fixed and / or controllable relationship relative to first substrate 205 includes and / or is coupled to one or more signal manipulation elements.

[0166] In various embodiments, one or more signal manipulation elements are integrated into the manipulation source 60 as a functional part of the manipulation source itself. For example, Figure 5 illustrates an exemplary embodiment in which the cavity 540 of a VECSEL 550 is defined at least in part by two signal manipulation elements 220, 520.

[0167] In various embodiments, the signal manipulation element is coupled to the manipulation source 60 such that one or more characteristics of a signal or beam generated by the manipulation source 60 are modified and / or controlled by the signal manipulation element (e.g., the state of the dynamically controllable optical effect of the signal manipulation element). For example, FIG. 6 illustrates an embodiment in which a VCSEL 630 is formed on and / or in a first substrate and a signal manipulation element 220 is positioned over the emission aperture of the VCSEL 630 such that the signal and / or beam emitted by the VCSEL is modified, adjusted, and / or controlled by the signal manipulation element 220. For example, the signal manipulation element 220 can control the collimation, focusing, frequency, phase, pointing, and / or the like of the signal and / or beam emitted by the VCSEL 630. For example, the signal manipulation element 220 can be a metasurface lens coupled to the emission aperture of the VCSEL.

[0168] Generally, a VCSEL includes a first reflector, a second reflector, and an active region, the active region including multiple quantum well layers configured to generate light. The first reflector and the second reflector define a cavity of the VCSEL. In an exemplary embodiment, one of the first reflector or the second reflector is a signal manipulation element configured to control the collimation and / or focusing of the emitted signal and / or beam, the direction of propagation of the emitted signal and / or beam, and / or the like, as the emission from the VCSEL is emitted (e.g., through controllable variation in the transmittance / reflectivity of the signal manipulation element).

[0169] 5 illustrates an exemplary embodiment in which a VECSEL 550 is at least partially formed and / or disposed in a second substrate 500 that is fixedly and / or controllably attached to a first substrate 205 on which the confinement assembly 200 is formed and / or disposed. The VECSEL includes a gain material 530. For example, the gain material may include a semiconductor material configured to generate light through a recombination effect when a voltage difference is applied across the gain material. The VECSEL further includes an external cavity 540 that is at least partially defined by a signal manipulation element 520 that is formed and / or disposed on and / or in the second substrate 500 in close proximity to and / or adjacent to the gain material 530. The external cavity 540 is also at least partially defined by a signal manipulation element 220 that is formed and / or disposed on the first substrate 205.

[0170] In the exemplary embodiment, a voltage is applied to the gain material 530 through a voltage control line 535 that extends through a via 510 through at least a portion of the second substrate 500 .

[0171] For example, the signal manipulation element 520, 220 uses a photonic crystal or similar effect to define the external cavity 540. In various embodiments, the frequency of the signal and / or beam provided by the VECSEL 550 is determined and / or controlled based on the frequency of the light generated by the gain material 530 and the chromatic filtering performed by the external cavity 540 (e.g., a Fabry-Perot cavity).

[0172] In exemplary embodiments, injection locking and / or seeding are used to further control the frequency and linewidth of the signal and / or beam provided by the VECSEL. In various embodiments, the frequency and / or narrow linewidth requirements of the function to be performed by the quantum computer 110 and / or other trapped particle system are stringent and / or difficult to achieve using a physically small cavity. In such embodiments, an incident laser beam characterized by the desired frequency and / or narrow linewidth characteristics but at a low power can be injected into the external cavity 540 and / or used to seed the external cavity 540. The incident laser beam used for injection locking and / or seeding the external cavity 540 can be at an optical power substantially lower than the optical power required for performing the corresponding function. Seeding the external cavity 540 can be used to cause the external cavity 540 and / or the VECSEL 550 to generate an optical signal and / or beam having the desired frequency and / or narrow linewidth characteristics.

[0173] Due to the signal and / or beam steering provided through the use of the signal manipulation elements 520, 220 to define the external cavity 540, the external cavity 540 need not be aligned with the emission axis of the gain material 530. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the external cavity 540 can be angled relative to the direction of the voltage difference across the gain material 530. For example, the beam steering capabilities of the signal manipulation elements 220, 520 used to define the external cavity 540 allow for the definition and / or formation of an angled external cavity. In an exemplary embodiment, the gain material 530 is configured to emit light into the external cavity 540 at an angle that matches and / or aligns with the angle of the external cavity 540. For example, the surface normal 532 of the second substrate forms a non-zero angle φ with the external cavity 540.

[0174] In various embodiments, the external cavities 540 are angled with respect to the surface normal (e.g., the angle φ is not equal to 0° or 180°), so that multiple VECSELs 550 can be associated with the particle location 250. For example, the multiple external cavities 540 each correspond to a VECSEL 550 formed at least partially on / in the first substrate 205 and at least partially on / in the second substrate 500, and in exemplary embodiments, the multiple external cavities 540 are formed to intersect with one another at the particle location. This allows the VECSELs 550 formed around the particle location 250 (e.g., the particle location is positioned within a corresponding angled external cavity 540) to be activated to perform different / distinct functions at the particle location 250, where the different / distinct functions have different frequency, polarization, and / or the like requirements.

[0175] In an exemplary embodiment, the state of one of the signal manipulation elements 520, 220 is used to control when and how much (e.g., amplitude and / or power) of the signal and / or beam generated by the VECSEL 550 is directed towards the particle location 250 to be incident on one or more particles 5. For example, by changing the state of the dynamically controllable optical effect of the signal manipulation element 220, for example, a portion of the light in the external cavity can be directed towards the particle location 250.

[0176] In various embodiments, the states of the signal manipulation elements 520, 220 are controlled through control lines 515, 215, respectively. The control lines 515, 215 extend through the respective substrates through respective vias 510, 210. In exemplary embodiments, the first or second substrates 205, 500 may include one or more traces on their surfaces, and one or more of the voltage control lines 535, the control lines 515, 215 may be embodied, at least in part, as traces on the surfaces of the respective substrates. For example, some embodiments do not include vias 210, 510.

[0177] In an exemplary embodiment, the signal manipulation elements 220, 520 can also be used to control the polarization of the light in the external cavity 540 and the polarization of the manipulation signal directed from the external cavity 540 towards the particle position 250.

[0178] 6A illustrates an exemplary embodiment in which a VCSEL 630 is formed in a first substrate 205. The VCSEL 630 is controlled through application of a voltage to the VCSEL 630 via a VCSEL control line 635 that extends at least partially through the first substrate 205 through a via 210.

[0179] The signal manipulation element 620 is arranged and / or shaped such that light exiting the emission aperture of the VCSEL 630 is incident on the signal manipulation element 620. Thus, the signal manipulation element 620 can be used to control the direction of propagation; the collimation and / or focusing; and / or the phase, frequency, polarization, and / or amplitude modulation of the signal and / or beam emitted by the VCSEL 630.

[0180] For example, when the state of the dynamically controllable optical effect of the signal manipulation element 620 is in a first state, the signal and / or beam emitted by the VCSEL 630 is directed toward the first particle location 250A, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 6. When the state of the dynamically controllable optical effect of the signal manipulation element 620 is in a second state, the signal and / or beam emitted by the VCSEL 630 is directed toward the second particle location 250B, as shown by the dotted line in Figure 6A. Various other states of the dynamically controllable optical effect of the signal manipulation element 620 can be defined such that signals and / or beams can be provided independently to additional particle locations and / or various combinations of particle locations. In various embodiments, the signal manipulation element 620 is also used to control the phase, polarization, and / or the like of signals and / or beams provided to the first particle position 250A (e.g., in a first state), to the second particle position 250B (e.g., in a second state), and / or to other particle positions and / or combinations of particle positions.

[0181] Various other coherent light sources can be incorporated as at least a portion of manipulation source 60 formed on the first or second substrate in various embodiments. In various embodiments, at least a portion of manipulation source 60 formed on the first or second substrate includes a cavity or resonant structure configured to confine a resonant or cavity mode of light within the array of nanophotonic structures. For example, an exemplary manipulation source 60 according to an exemplary embodiment includes an array of nanophotonic structures that circulates light within each individual nanophotonic structure of the array. As should be understood, a nanophotonic structure is a physical structure configured to interact with and / or control optical beams / pulses and / or photons, characterized by at least one dimension having a scale comparable to or smaller than the wavelength of the interacting light. For example, nanophotonic structures can include lattices or crystal structures with nanometer-scale separations (e.g., separations similar to or smaller than the wavelength of interacting light) between the ions, atoms, and / or particles of the lattice or crystal. For example, the ions, atoms, and / or particles of the lattice or crystal can be used with Fano resonances and / or quasi-coupled states in the continuum to provide, for example, high quality factor resonances.

[0182] Another example of a coherent light source that can be incorporated as at least a portion of manipulation source 60 formed on the first or second substrate is a laser including a nanophotonic structure defining a lateral cavity. For example, the lateral cavity can be a crystal or lattice formed by an array of nanophotonic structures. In various embodiments, the lateral cavity is a cavity or resonant structure formed by an array of nanophotonic structures extending in a direction substantially parallel to a plane defined by the surface of the substrate (e.g., first substrate 205) on which confinement assembly 200 is formed. In various embodiments, the nanophotonic structure is a photonic crystal cavity defined by a photonic crystal structure. An example of such a laser is a nanocrystal surface-emitting laser (NCSEL). In various embodiments, the laser including the lateral cavity and / or photonic crystal cavity can be formed in the first substrate, similar to VCSEL 630, or can be formed in the second substrate, similar to gain material 530 of VECSEL 550. In an exemplary embodiment, the lateral cavity of the laser and / or the photonic crystal cavity is transverse and / or perpendicular to the direction in which the manipulation signal is emitted (e.g., parallel to the surface of the first substrate 205 on which the confinement assembly 200 is formed).

[0183] In exemplary embodiments, a nanophotonic structure defining a lateral cavity (e.g., a photonic crystal structure defining a photonic crystal cavity) is configured to be and / or have a surface that is a signal manipulation element. For example, a nanophotonic structure (e.g., a photonic crystal structure) in exemplary embodiments includes a metasurface. In exemplary embodiments, an emission surface of a nanophotonic structure (e.g., a surface of a nanophotonic structure through which light is emitted) has a diffractive effect and / or includes a metasurface (e.g., a metasurface lens). In various embodiments, a signal manipulation element forming a portion (e.g., the emission surface) of a nanophotonic structure is configured to direct and / or control (e.g., in terms of direction, focus, collimation, polarization, and / or the like) the outgoing emission. In exemplary embodiments, the nanophotonic structure also controls the mode of the emitted light.

[0184] In various embodiments, a lateral cavity (e.g., a photonic crystal cavity) is injection locked and / or seeded to control the frequency, linewidth, and / or polarization of a signal and / or beam emitted from the lateral cavity. In various embodiments, the frequency, narrow linewidth, and / or polarization requirements of the function to be performed by the quantum computer 110 and / or other trapped particle system are stringent and / or difficult to achieve using a physically small cavity. In such embodiments, an incident laser beam characterized by the desired frequency, narrow linewidth, and / or polarization characteristics but at low power can be injected into the lateral cavity and / or used to seed the lateral cavity. The incident laser beam used for injection locking and / or seeding the lateral cavity can be at an optical power substantially lower than the optical power required for performing the corresponding function. Seeding a lateral cavity can be used to cause a lateral cavity and / or a laser comprising the lateral cavity to generate an optical signal and / or beam having a desired frequency, narrow linewidth, and / or polarization characteristics.

[0185] For example, FIG. 6B illustrates a manipulation source 60 formed on the first substrate 205 (and partially on the second substrate 405) that is a laser 650 including a nanophotonic structure 640 (e.g., a photonic crystal) that defines a lateral cavity (e.g., a photonic crystal cavity). For example, the lateral cavity of the laser is transverse and / or perpendicular to the direction in which the manipulation signal is emitted (e.g., parallel to the surface of the first substrate 205 on which the confinement assembly 200 is formed), as indicated by arrow 642. In the illustrated embodiment, the lateral cavity of the nanophotonic structure 640 is seeded by seed photons provided by an external cavity 646. In the illustrated embodiment, the external cavity 646 is defined, at least in part, by a signal manipulation element and / or a retroreflector 644 disposed on the second substrate 405. For example, a portion (e.g., less than 50%) of the power generated by laser 650 is provided to external cavity 646, which is larger than the lateral cavity defined by nanophotonic structure 640. Thus, external cavity 646 can be configured to generate beams and / or pulses (of low power compared to the output of laser 650) that are then used to seed the lateral cavity defined by nanophotonic structure 640. For example, external cavity 646 can be configured to generate beams and / or pulses (of low power compared to the output of laser 650) that can be used to control the frequency, linewidth, and / or polarization of signals and / or beams emitted from the lateral cavity defined by nanophotonic structure 640.

[0186] In various embodiments, laser 650 is controlled through application of a voltage to laser 650 via laser control line 645 that extends at least partially through first substrate 205 through via 210. Signal manipulation element 620 is arranged and / or shaped such that light exiting the emission aperture of a lateral cavity defined by nanophotonic structure 640 (e.g., from the emission aperture of a photonic crystal cavity defined by the photonic crystal embodying nanophotonic structure 640) is incident on signal manipulation element 648. Thus, signal manipulation element 648, in exemplary embodiments, can be used to control the direction of propagation; collimation and / or focusing; and / or phase, frequency, polarization, and / or amplitude modulation of a signal and / or beam emitted by the laser. In various embodiments, the signal manipulation element is a passive diffractive element (e.g., a lens or lens assembly), a passive or active nanophotonic element, and / or the like.

[0187] In various embodiments, various other forms of manipulation source 60 can be formed and / or disposed on first substrate 205 and / or a second substrate mounted in a fixed and / or controllable relationship with first substrate 205. In exemplary embodiments, at least one manipulation source formed and / or disposed on first substrate 205 and / or a second substrate mounted in a fixed and / or controllable relationship with first substrate 205 is an incoherent manipulation source. For example, the incoherent manipulation source is configured to emit, generate, and / or provide incoherent light.

[0188] In an exemplary embodiment, the incoherent manipulation source includes a signal manipulation element that includes an integrated fluorescent material. The photonic crystal effect of the signal manipulation element can be used to direct and / or focus light generated through the fluorescence of the fluorescent material toward one or more particle locations. In an exemplary embodiment, the signal manipulation element is further configured to control the polarization of the light generated through the fluorescence of the fluorescent material and directed toward one or more particle locations.

[0189] In an exemplary embodiment, the fluorescent material is directly integrated into the metasurface of the signal manipulation element. For example, the fluorescent material can be quantum dots or another luminescent medium fabricated into the structure that forms the metasurface. In another exemplary embodiment, the fluorescent material is indirectly integrated into the metasurface of the signal manipulation element. For example, the metasurface can be formed on a fluorescent film.

[0190] In an exemplary embodiment, the incoherent manipulation source includes one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The signal manipulation element can be used to direct and / or focus light generated by the LEDs toward one or more particle locations. In an exemplary embodiment, the signal manipulation element is further configured to control the polarization of the light generated by the LEDs and directed toward one or more particle locations.

[0191] In an exemplary embodiment, the manipulation signal generated by the incoherent manipulation source is used to perform photoionization of particles loaded into the confinement assembly. For example, when the confinement assembly 200 is an ion trap, neutral atoms can be loaded into the ion trap and then photoionized to generate trapped ions that are used as particles in the system.

[0192] As mentioned above, signal manipulation elements can be used to perform frequency modulation of signals and / or beams. In various embodiments, signal manipulation elements are used to perform frequency translation of signals and / or beams. Such frequency translation effects can be combined with focusing and / or steering and / or pointing of the frequency-translated signals and / or beams.

[0193] For example, in various embodiments, the signal manipulation element is configured to generate a second or higher harmonic of the incident beam and / or signal, e.g., the frequency of the guided beam can be characterized by the second or higher harmonic of the incident beam or signal, and / or the frequency profile of the guided beam can include the second or higher harmonic of the incident beam or signal.

[0194] In various embodiments, the frequency translation performed by the signal manipulation element of the incident beam and / or signal varies over time. For example, the signal manipulation element can include a time-varying metasurface configured to modify the frequency of the guided signal and / or beam as physical parameters of the metasurface change rapidly over the interaction time of the incident signal and / or beam with the signal manipulation element. The interaction time of the incident signal and / or beam interacting with the signal manipulation element is extended, in exemplary embodiments, through the use of high-Q (e.g., underdamped and / or low-loss) resonances. For example, the physical parameters of the metasurface can be the refractive index of the metasurface, the effective phase response of the metasurface, and / or the like.

[0195] In various embodiments, the performance of different / distinct functions of quantum computer 110 and / or other trapped particle systems requires signals and / or beams of different frequencies. Conventionally, these different frequencies are generated by different manipulation sources 60 and provided to each particle location 250 along corresponding optical paths. In various embodiments, a signal manipulation element is used to convert an incident beam or signal (e.g., generated by manipulation source 60) into a guided signal and / or beam of a selected frequency, where the selected frequency is controlled by the state of a dynamically controllable optical effect of the signal manipulation signal.

[0196] For example, a signal or beam characterized by a particular frequency can be incident on the signal manipulation element, with the resulting guided signal or beam characterized by a first frequency when the state of the dynamically controllable optical effect is in a first state, and the resulting guided signal or beam characterized by a second frequency when the state of the dynamically controllable optical effect is in a second state. The first frequency is different from the second frequency, which may or may not be different from the particular frequency of the incident signal or beam.

[0197] In exemplary embodiments, the time-varying transformation effect is used and / or controlled to enable one or more signal manipulation elements to control the frequency of a guidance signal and / or beam provided to one or more particle locations. For example, an incident signal or beam having a particular frequency incident on a signal manipulation element can result in a guidance signal of a selected frequency being provided to the particle location, where the selected frequency is selected, controlled, and / or determined based on the state of a dynamically controllable optical effect of the signal manipulation element.

[0198] In exemplary embodiments, manipulation source 60 is configured to provide a manipulation signal having an infrared wavelength, a near-infrared wavelength, or a visible wavelength. When such a manipulation signal is incident on a signal manipulation element, the signal manipulation element is induced to emit a induced signal characterized by a selected wavelength shorter than the wavelength of the provided manipulation signal (e.g., visible and / or UV). For example, manipulation source 60 is configured to generate a manipulation signal that is off-resonant and / or far-off-resonant with respect to various particle interactions of trapped particles in quantum computer 110 and / or other trapped particle systems. In other words, manipulation source 60 is configured to generate a manipulation signal that does not interact with particles or that only weakly interacts with particles in quantum computer 110 and / or other trapped particle systems. The signal manipulation elements of the confinement assembly can then be used to convert the frequency of the manipulation signal to a selected frequency that corresponds to a desired function of the quantum computer 110 and / or the trapped particle system, such that the resulting guided signal and / or beam causes and / or mediates the desired function and / or interaction. In various embodiments, by providing the manipulation signal to a signal manipulation element that is configured to not interact and / or to interact weakly with the quantum computer 110 and / or particles of other trapped particle systems, crosstalk between various particle positions (e.g., due to light scattered from surfaces 208, 408 and / or from input optics) is reduced.

[0199] The use of a longer wavelength (e.g., infrared, near-infrared, visible) manipulation signal that is upconverted by the signal manipulation element to a guided signal of a selected wavelength allows the portion of the optical path that provides the manipulation signal to the signal manipulation element to be configured to carry the longer wavelength signal. For example, integrated waveguide photonics configured for use at infrared wavelengths tend to be easier to design and fabricate, have a longer usable lifetime, and are easier to match and maintain alignment compared to waveguide photonics configured for use at shorter wavelengths (e.g., visible and / or UV wavelengths). Thus, implementing frequency conversion in the signal manipulation element provides various technical advantages in various embodiments.

[0200] In various embodiments, manipulation source 60 includes a pulsed laser. For example, manipulation source 60 including a pulsed laser is configured in exemplary embodiments to provide a pulsed signal and / or beam to a signal manipulation element configured to perform harmonic generation frequency conversion. The resulting incident signal and / or beam, in exemplary embodiments, is a pulsed signal and / or beam having a shorter wavelength than the manipulation signal generated by manipulation source 60.

[0201] In exemplary embodiments, a pulsed incident signal and / or beam can be used to perform the readout function. For example, to determine the quantum state of a particle, a readout beam can be caused to impinge on the particle to determine whether the particle is in a first state in which the particle fluoresces in response to the readout beam being incident on it, or in a second state in which the particle does not fluoresce in response to the readout beam being incident on it. In exemplary embodiments, because the readout beam is a pulsed signal or beam, photodetectors configured to capture and / or detect the emission, stimulation, and / or collection signals are gated with a delay to eliminate noise caused by scattering of light from the readout beam (or other signals and / or beams). For example, the photodetectors can be enabled to receive and / or detect light only when the emission, stimulation, and / or collection signals are expected to be present in the photodetector's aperture. For example, a pulsed readout beam can be used to provide background-free, gated detection of particle fluorescence.

[0202] In exemplary embodiments, the pulsed incident signal and / or beam can be used to implement a single qubit gate or a two-qubit gate. In exemplary embodiments, the repetition rate and / or pulse rate of the pulsed incident signal and / or beam is configured and / or locked to be equivalent to and / or substantially equal to the hyperfine splitting of the particle's energy levels. This allows the single qubit gate to be driven by a single manipulation source 60 (rather than the two manipulation sources conventionally required). In exemplary embodiments, the repetition rate and / or pulse rate of the pulsed incident signal and / or beam is configured and / or locked to be equivalent to and / or substantially equal to the axial or radial mode frequency of the particle crystal. The resulting pulsed induction signal and / or beam can then be used to implement a two-qubit gate. In exemplary embodiments, the resulting pulsed induction signal is applied to a particle location where the particle crystal is positioned at least semi-simultaneously with a second induction signal to cause implementation of an entangling gate configured to entangle the quantum states of at least two particles of the particle crystal.

[0203] As described above, in exemplary embodiments, the signal manipulation element is configured to cause at least a portion of the emission signal and / or stimulation signal to be incident thereon and to provide a directed collection signal to a collection location corresponding to each particle position to enable and / or cause detection of the emission signal and / or stimulation signal. In exemplary embodiments, the signal manipulation element (e.g., the collection element) comprises a photoactive material. For example, the signal manipulation element is configured to absorb the portion of the emission signal and / or stimulation signal incident thereon and is configured to generate an electrical signal indicative of the intensity of the portion of the emission signal and / or stimulation signal incident thereon. The electrical signal can then be provided to controller 30 (e.g., via A / D converter 1425 and / or the like).

[0204] In exemplary embodiments, signal manipulation elements including optically active materials are used to perform one or more system checks, calibration processes, alignment checks, and / or the like. For example, signal manipulation elements including optically active materials can be used to perform waveguide loss monitoring, alignment monitoring, and / or the like.

[0205] In exemplary embodiments, the signal manipulation element is used to perform signal and / or beam detection, optical loss monitoring, and / or alignment monitoring by collecting light and focusing light directly onto an integrated photodetector, or to couple light into an optical fiber or other waveguide for routing to the photodetector. In exemplary embodiments, the signal manipulation element is configured to perform chromatic filtering of light provided to the photodetector and / or light coupled into the optical fiber or other waveguide. For example, the signal manipulation element can be configured to operate in a bandpass mode or a bandblock mode. In exemplary embodiments, the signal manipulation element can be configured to enable dynamic control of whether the signal manipulation element is operating in bandpass mode or bandblock mode. In various embodiments, the optical coupling between the signal manipulation element and the photodetector or optical fiber or other waveguide is far-field or near-field.

[0206] Exemplary seeding and optical pumping of an integrated laser In various embodiments, the confinement assembly includes a first substrate 205 having a plurality of electric potential-generating elements (e.g., electrodes) formed thereon. The electric potential-generating elements are operable and / or configured to generate one or more confinement regions configured to confine one or more quantum objects. For example, in exemplary embodiments, when appropriate voltage signals are applied to the electric potential-generating elements (e.g., electrodes), the electric potential-generating elements generate one or more confinement regions configured to confine one or more quantum objects. In various embodiments, the quantum objects are neutral or ionic atoms (e.g., ions); neutral, ionic, or multipolar molecules; quantum particles; groups or crystals of atoms or ions; and / or the like. In exemplary embodiments, the confinement assembly includes an ion trap, such as a surface ion trap, formed and / or at least partially defined by the electric potential-generating elements formed on the first substrate 205.

[0207] In various embodiments, the containment assembly further includes a second substrate 405 mounted in a fixed relationship to the first substrate 205. For example, in various embodiments, the first substrate 205 and the second substrate 405 are fixed and / or mounted to one another. In various embodiments, the second substrate 405 is mounted and / or fixed relative to the first substrate 205 such that a surface of the first substrate 205 is substantially parallel to a corresponding surface of the second substrate 405. For example, a plane 480 defined by a surface of the second substrate 405 is parallel to a plane 280 defined by a corresponding surface of the first substrate 205. In various embodiments, the corresponding surfaces of the first substrate 205 and the second substrate 405 face each other and / or are oriented toward each other.

[0208] In various embodiments, one or more lasers, or at least a portion thereof, are formed on and / or in the first substrate 205 and / or the second substrate 405. For example, the respective gain media and at least a portion of the resonant structures and / or cavities (referred to herein as resonant structures) of one or more lasers are formed on and / or in the first substrate 205 and / or the second substrate 405. The one or more lasers are said to be integrated with the confinement assembly because they are formed and / or disposed, at least in part, on and / or in the first substrate 205 or the second substrate 405.

[0209] In various embodiments, the resonant structure of the integrated laser is a nanophotonic structure. Such a resonant structure can be too small and / or have a quality factor (e.g., Q-factor) to control the wavelength / frequency, linewidth, polarization, and / or optical mode emitted by the corresponding laser within tolerances allowed by the application (e.g., interacting with confined quantum objects and / or trapped particles). Various embodiments provide a technical solution to this technical problem through the use of laser seeding. For example, in various embodiments, at least one of the one or more integrated lasers is configured to be seeded. For example, at least one of the one or more integrated lasers is configured to cause a seeding laser beam to interact with the gain medium and / or its resonant structure. For example, the seeding laser beam is configured to control at least one characteristic of the light emitted by the integrated laser, such as the wavelength / frequency, linewidth, polarization, and / or optical mode emitted by the laser whose seeding laser beam interacts with the gain medium and / or its resonant structure.

[0210] For a laser to emit a laser beam, power must be supplied to it. The laser's gain medium then converts the supplied power, or at least a portion of it, into a laser beam or pulse emitted by the laser. To power the integrated laser, power must be delivered to the gain medium disposed on or in the first and / or second substrates within the cryostat and / or vacuum chamber 40. In various embodiments, electrical leads are used to provide electrical pumping signals of sufficient power to the interior of the cryostat and / or vacuum chamber 40. However, a significant number of leads may be required to provide voltage signals to the potential generating elements and / or signal manipulation elements 220 of the confinement assembly 200. Additionally, leads configured to provide electrical pumping signals to the integrated laser must be able to transmit high-power electrical signals and to withstand the heating caused by transmitting such high-power electrical signals. In various embodiments, these technical challenges are overcome by optically pumping one or more integrated lasers of the confinement assembly.

[0211] For example, in various embodiments, at least one of the integrated lasers is configured to be optically pumped. For example, lasing activity of at least one integrated laser is powered by an optical pump beam. In various embodiments, the optical pump beam is an optical beam configured to power the integrated laser and / or excite the gain medium of the integrated laser to cause the integrated laser to emit a respective laser beam (e.g., a manipulation signal). In various embodiments, optical pumping of the integrated laser obviates the need for specialized electrical leads (e.g., provided from outside the cryostat and / or vacuum chamber 40 to the interior of the cryostat and / or vacuum chamber 40) to electrically pump the integrated laser. In various embodiments, the optical pump beam is a laser beam. In exemplary embodiments, the optical pump is a high-power (e.g., sufficiently powerful to power lasing of the integrated laser) optical beam that is not a laser beam (e.g., an optical beam that need not be monochromatic and / or coherent).

[0212] In various embodiments, the confinement assembly at least partially defines an optical path for causing the seed laser beam to be incident on at least a portion of the integrated laser (e.g., the gain medium and / or the resonant structure). In various embodiments, the confinement assembly at least partially defines an optical path for causing the optical pump beam to be incident on the gain medium of the integrated laser.

[0213] In various embodiments, the optical path defined at least in part by the confinement assembly includes a free-space optical path, as illustrated in Figure 7. Figure 7 illustrates integrated lasers 760A, 760D formed and / or disposed on a first substrate 205 on which voltage-generating elements 730 (e.g., 730A, 730B, 730C; electrodes) are formed. Integrated lasers 760B, 760C are formed and / or disposed on and / or in a second substrate 405 that is attached to and / or fixed relative to the first substrate 205. A first seeding laser beam and / or optical pumping beam 705A is incident on the first integrated laser 760A (e.g., the gain medium and / or its resonant structure). The first seeding laser beam and / or optical pumping beam 705A is generated by a manipulation source 60 disposed outside the cryostat and / or vacuum chamber 40 and transmitted through the optical access window 45 of the cryostat and / or vacuum chamber 40. In the illustrated embodiment, the first seeding laser beam and / or optical pumping beam 705A is transmitted through a through-hole portion 450 or transparent portion of the second substrate 405. In an exemplary embodiment, the optical path along which the first seeding laser beam and / or optical pumping beam 705A is provided includes one or more free-space optical elements (e.g., bulk optics). For example, the optical access window 45 can include a lenslet array, and the first seeding laser beam and / or optical pumping beam 705A can be transmitted through each lenslet of the lenslet array. In another example, lenses, diffractive elements, metasurfaces, and / or the like can be disposed along the optical path (e.g., within the through-holes 450 and / or the like).

[0214] The second seeding laser beam and / or optical pumping beam 705B is incident on the second integrated laser 760B (e.g., the gain medium and / or its resonant structure). The second seeding laser beam and / or optical pumping beam 705B is generated by a manipulation source 60 disposed outside the cryostat and / or vacuum chamber 40 and transmitted through the optical access window 45 of the cryostat and / or vacuum chamber 40. In an exemplary embodiment, the optical path along which the second seeding laser beam and / or optical pumping beam 705B is provided includes one or more free-space optical elements (e.g., bulk optics). For example, the optical access window 45 can include a lenslet array, and the second seeding laser beam and / or optical pumping beam 705B can be transmitted through each lenslet of the lenslet array. In another example, a lens, a diffractive element, a metasurface, and / or the like can be disposed along the optical path between the optical access window 45 and the second integrated laser 760B.

[0215] In the illustrated embodiment, the third seeding laser beam and / or optical pumping beam 705C is generated by a third integrated laser 760C and is incident on a fourth integrated laser 760D (e.g., a gain medium and / or its resonant structure). For example, the confinement assembly can include one or more integrated lasers configured for the purpose of providing seeding laser beams and / or optical pumping beams to one or more other integrated lasers. For example, in an exemplary embodiment, a portion of the laser power emitted by the third integrated laser 760C can be used to seed the fourth integrated laser 760D, while the remaining portion of the laser power emitted by the third integrated laser 760C is used as a manipulation signal to perform one or more quantum operations at one or more quantum object locations (e.g., ionize one or more quantum objects, initialize quantum objects to a predetermined quantum state, initialize quantum objects to a defined set of quantum states (e.g., a defined qubit space and / or the like), perform a quantum gate (e.g., a single qubit gate, a two qubit gate, and / or the like) on the quantum object, perform a read operation to determine the quantum state of the quantum object, and / or the like). In an exemplary embodiment, all of the laser power emitted by the third integrated laser 760C is used to seed and / or optically pump the fourth integrated laser 760D and / or multiple integrated lasers.

[0216] In various embodiments, the integrated laser includes a signal manipulation element 720 (e.g., 720A, 720B). For example, the integrated laser 760A is configured to emit a manipulation signal through the signal manipulation element 720A, as described in detail elsewhere herein, such that the manipulation signal emitted by the integrated laser 760A is conditioned by the signal manipulation element 720A. For example, the signal manipulation element can be configured to control the beam position / angle (direction of propagation of the emitted signal / beam), focal length, polarization, phase, frequency, beam pattern, and power (e.g., amplitude), chromatic filtering, and / or the like, of the manipulation signal emitted by the integrated laser 760 and / or provided to each quantum object location defined by the confinement assembly.

[0217] In the illustrated embodiment, the first seeding laser beam and / or optical pumping beam propagate in a direction that includes a component transverse to (e.g., non-parallel to) the plane 280 defined by the surface of the first substrate 205 on which the first integrated laser 760A is formed and / or disposed. For example, the confinement assembly 200 can at least partially define one or more optical paths for providing the seeding laser beam and / or optical pumping beam that transverse to (e.g., non-parallel to) the plane 280 defined by the first substrate 205.

[0218] In various embodiments, the confinement assembly at least partially defines one or more optical paths for providing a seeding laser beam and / or an optical pumping beam that are parallel to the plane 280 defined by the first substrate 205 and / or the plane 480 defined by the second substrate 405. Various examples of such optical paths that are at least partially defined by the confinement assembly are illustrated in Figures 8-13.

[0219] 8 illustrates a portion of a first or second substrate 205 / 405 in an exemplary embodiment, in which a waveguide 810 is disposed within the first or second substrate 205 / 405 and configured to provide a seed laser beam and / or an optical pumping beam to an integrated laser 860. In the illustrated embodiment, the waveguide 810 is coupled to the integrated laser 860 via an out-of-plane coupler 815. For example, the waveguide 810 is displaced in the y-direction from the integrated laser 860, as illustrated in FIG. 8. For example, the waveguide 810 is disposed farther from a surface 880 of the first or second substrate 205 / 405 than the integrated laser 860. The out-of-plane coupler 815 is configured to couple the seed laser beam and / or optical pump beam propagating through the waveguide 810 out of the plane of the waveguide 810 and onto the integrated laser 860, such that the seed laser beam and / or optical pump beam are incident on the gain medium and / or resonant structure of the integrated laser 860. In various embodiments, the out-of-plane coupler 815 is a grating coupler, a metasurface coupler (e.g., a coupler including a metasurface and / or a metamaterial), and / or other optical coupler configured to couple light out of the plane of the waveguide 810. In various embodiments, the out-of-plane coupler 815 is configured to couple all of the seed laser beam and / or optical pump beam out of the waveguide 810 and onto the integrated laser 860. In various embodiments, the out-of-plane coupler 815 is configured to couple a fraction f of the seed laser beam and / or the optical pump beam out of the waveguide 810 and into the integrated laser 860, where 0 <f<1である。

[0220] 9 illustrates a portion of the first or second substrate 205 / 405 in an exemplary embodiment, in which a waveguide 910 is configured to provide a seed laser beam and / or an optical pumping beam to an integrated laser 960A, 960B using evanescent coupling. Evanescent coupling between the waveguide and a target (e.g., the gain medium and / or resonant structure of the integrated laser) occurs when the waveguide is sufficiently close to the target such that the evanescent fields (e.g., near-field / non-propagating electromagnetic fields) generated by the seed laser beam and / or the optical pumping beam propagating through the waveguide physically overlap with the target. For example, the first integrated laser 960A is located a first distance d from the waveguide 910. A and the second integrated laser 960B is disposed at a second distance d from the waveguide 910. B The first and second distances are configured such that, when the seed laser beam and / or the optical pumping beam propagate through the waveguide 910, an evanescent field generated by the propagation of the seed laser beam and / or the optical pumping beam through the waveguide 910 is incident on and / or physically overlaps with the first and second integrated lasers 960A, 960B.

[0221] The strength of coupling between the first and second integrated lasers 960A, 960B and the seed laser beam and / or optical pump beam propagating through the waveguide 910 is determined and / or controlled by the distance between the waveguide 910 and the respective integrated laser. For example, the first distance d A is the second distance d B Therefore, the strength of coupling of the first integrated laser 960A to the seed laser beam and / or optical pumping beam propagating through the waveguide 910 is less than the strength of coupling of the second integrated laser 960B to the seed laser beam and / or optical pumping beam propagating through the waveguide 910.

[0222] In various embodiments, to prevent the seeding laser beam and / or optical pumping beam propagating through the waveguide and / or oscillating the electromagnetic fields in the integrated laser from evanescently coupling with the potential generating elements 930 (e.g., 930A, 930B) and / or signal manipulation elements 920 formed on the first and / or second substrates 205 / 405, the first and / or second substrates 205 / 405 can include one or more shields 935. In various embodiments, the one or more shields 935 are formed of a conductive material and are grounded to shield respective portions and / or areas of the first and / or second substrates 205 / 405 from the electromagnetic fields within the substrates.

[0223] 10 illustrates a portion of a first or second substrate 205 / 405 including a waveguide 1010 configured to provide a seed laser beam and / or an optical pump beam to an integrated laser 1060 via direct or edge coupling 1015. In an exemplary embodiment, the direct or edge coupling 1015 is a butt coupling, in which the waveguide 1010 terminates in the integrated laser 1060 (e.g., a gain medium and / or its resonant structure). For example, the waveguide 1010 and the integrated laser 1060 can be formed deep within the first or second substrate 205 / 405 such that the waveguide 1010 can be directly coupled (e.g., butt coupled) to the integrated laser 1060. In an exemplary embodiment, the direct or edge coupling 1015 includes a signal manipulation element (e.g., a diffractive optical element such as a lens, a metasurface lens, and / or the like).

[0224] In various embodiments, the waveguides 810, 910, 1010 are non-planar waveguides configured to provide two-dimensional transverse optical confinement. For example, in various embodiments, the waveguides 810, 910, 1010 provide optical confinement in both the y- and z-directions, as shown in the respective figures. In various embodiments, the waveguides 810, 910, 1010 are planar or slab waveguides configured to provide optical confinement in one transverse direction. For example, in various embodiments, the waveguides 810, 910, 1010 provide optical confinement only in the y-direction, as shown in the respective figures.

[0225] 11 illustrates a portion of a first or second substrate 205 / 405 including a planar or slab waveguide 1110 configured to provide seed laser beams and / or optically coupled beams to a first integrated laser 1160A and a second integrated laser 1160B. The planar or slab waveguide 1110 is configured to allow multiple seed laser beams and / or optically coupled beams to propagate therethrough, each seed laser beam and / or optically coupled beam characterized by a different wavelength and / or a different polarization. Each integrated laser 1160 (e.g., 1160A, 1160B) is coupled to the planar or slab waveguide 1110 via a respective out-of-plane coupler 1115 (e.g., 1115A, 1115B). Each out-of-plane coupler 1115 is configured to selectively resonate. For example, the first out-of-plane coupler 1115A is configured to resonate only with optical signals of a first wavelength. Therefore, the first out-of-plane coupler 1115A only couples the first integrated laser 1160A to a seed laser beam and / or optical pump beam propagating through the planar or slab waveguide 1110 characterized by a first wavelength. The second out-of-plane coupler 1115B is configured to resonate only with optical signals of a second wavelength. Therefore, the second out-of-plane coupler 1115B only couples the second integrated laser 1160B to a seed laser beam and / or optical pump beam propagating through the planar or slab waveguide 1110 characterized by a second wavelength. This allows different seed laser beams and / or optical pump beams to be provided through the same waveguide while providing the appropriate seed laser beam and / or optical pump beam to each integrated laser. In various embodiments, the out-of-plane coupler 1115 is a grating coupler, metasurface coupler, and / or other out-of-plane coupler configured to resonate with light of a particular wavelength or with a particular polarization.

[0226] FIG. 12 illustrates a portion of a first or second substrate 205 / 405 in which multiple integrated lasers 1260 (e.g., 1260A, 1260B, 1260C) are daisy-chained together using waveguides 1210 (e.g., 1210A, 1210B). The first integrated laser 1260A can be seeded by a seeding laser beam generated by a manipulation source 60 disposed outside the cryostat and / or vacuum chamber 40. A portion of the laser beam emitted by the first integrated laser 1260A is provided as a seeding laser beam to the second integrated laser 1260B (e.g., via the first waveguide 1210A). A portion of the laser beam emitted by the second integrated laser 1260B is provided as a seeding laser beam to the third integrated laser 1260C (e.g., via the second waveguide 1210B). This allows multiple integrated lasers to be seeded using only one optical beam delivered from outside the cryostat and / or vacuum chamber 40, so that the number of optical signals required to be delivered from outside the cryostat and / or vacuum chamber 40 to inside the cryostat and / or vacuum chamber 40 does not have to scale linearly with the number of integrated lasers in the confinement assembly.

[0227] 13 illustrates a portion of a first or second substrate 205 / 405 having multiple integrated lasers 1360 (e.g., 1360A, 1360B, 1360C, 1360D, 1360E, 1360F, 1360G) formed thereon. The first integrated laser 1360A can be seeded by a seeding laser beam generated by a manipulation source 60 disposed outside the cryostat and / or vacuum chamber 40. At least a portion of the laser beam emitted by the first integrated laser 1360A is provided as a seeding laser beam to the second integrated laser 1360B and the third integrated laser 1360C. For example, at least a portion of the laser beam emitted by the first integrated laser 1360A can be transmitted through a non-planar waveguide, including a beam splitter and / or a slab waveguide, such that at least a portion of the laser beam emitted by the first integrated laser 1360A seeds the second and third integrated lasers 1360B, 1360C. In various embodiments, at least a portion of the laser beam emitted by the first integrated laser 1360A used to seed other integrated lasers 1360 can be used to seed two or more (e.g., two, three, four, six, and / or the like) other integrated lasers formed on and / or in the first substrate 205 or the second substrate 405. At least a portion of the laser beam emitted by the second integrated laser 1360B is used to seed the fourth and fifth integrated lasers 1360D, 1360E, and at least a portion of the laser beam emitted by the third integrated laser 1360C is used to seed the sixth and seventh integrated lasers 1360F, 1360G.This allows multiple integrated lasers to be seeded using only one optical beam delivered from outside the cryostat and / or vacuum chamber 40, such that the number of optical signals that need to be delivered from outside the cryostat and / or vacuum chamber 40 to inside the cryostat and / or vacuum chamber 40 does not need to scale linearly with the number of integrated lasers in the confinement assembly. Moreover, the seed laser beam provided to the seventh integrated laser 1360G is only two steps away from the seed laser beam provided to the first integrated laser 1360A. Therefore, the characteristics (e.g., wavelength / frequency, linewidth, polarization, and / or optical mode) of the seed laser beam provided to the seventh integrated laser 1360G experience fewer perturbations and / or are less affected by noise than if the seed laser beam provided to the seventh integrated laser 1360G were only seven steps away from the seed laser beam provided to the first integrated laser 1360A.

[0228] 7, an integrated laser 760 formed on and / or in the second substrate 405 can be used to seed one or more integrated lasers 760 formed on and / or in the first substrate 205, or vice versa. In various embodiments, an integrated laser can be configured to provide a seed laser beam to one or more other integrated lasers of the confinement assembly via one or more optical paths as illustrated in any and / or combinations of FIGS. 7-13.

[0229] In various embodiments, the seeding laser beam is constantly provided to one or more integrated lasers during operation of the confinement assembly. In various embodiments, the seeding laser beam is selectively provided to one or more integrated lasers (e.g., when the integrated laser is lasing or will lase within the next second or so). In embodiments in which the integrated lasers are pumped or powered using an optical pumping beam, the optical pumping beam is provided to the integrated lasers to cause them to lase. For example, the optical pumping beam is provided to the integrated lasers to control when the integrated lasers emit their respective laser beams.

[0230] Exemplary Controller In various embodiments, the confinement assembly 200 is incorporated into a system (e.g., quantum computer 110 or other trapped particle system) that includes a controller 30. In various embodiments, the controller 30 is configured to control various elements of the system (e.g., quantum computer 110 or other trapped particle system). For example, the controller 30 can be configured to control the state of dynamically controllable optical properties of one or more signal manipulation elements 220, 420. For example, the controller 30 can be configured to control the voltage supply 50, the cryostat system and / or vacuum system that controls the temperature and pressure within the cryostat and / or vacuum chamber 40, the manipulation source 60, the refrigeration system, and / or other systems configured to control environmental conditions (e.g., temperature, humidity, pressure, and / or the like) within the cryostat and / or vacuum chamber 40, and / or to manipulate and / or cause the controlled evolution of the quantum states of one or more quantum objects confined by the confinement assembly 200. In various embodiments, the controller 30 can be configured to receive signals from one or more collection optics systems 70 .

[0231] As shown in FIG. 14 , in various embodiments, the controller 30 can include various controller elements, including a processing device 1405, a memory 1410, a driver controller element 1415, a communication interface 1420, an analog-to-digital converter element 1425, and / or the like. For example, the processing device 1405 can include one or more processing elements and / or controllers, such as a programmable logic device (CPLD), a microprocessor, a coprocessing entity, an application-specific instruction set processor (ASIP), an integrated circuit, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a programmable logic array (PLA), a hardware accelerator, other processing devices and / or circuits, and / or the like. The term circuit can refer to an entirely hardware embodiment or a combination of hardware and a computer program product. In an exemplary embodiment, the processing device 1405 of the controller 30 includes and / or is in communication with a clock.

[0232] For example, the memory 1410 may include non-transitory memory, such as volatile and / or non-volatile memory storage, such as one or more of a hard disk, ROM, PROM, EPROM, EEPROM, flash memory, MMC, SD memory card, memory stick, CBRAM, PRAM, FeRAM, RRAM, SONOS, racetrack memory, RAM, DRAM, SRAM, FPM DRAM, EDO DRAM, SDRAM, DDR SDRAM, DDR2 SDRAM, DDR3 SDRAM, RDRAM, RIMM, DIMM, SIMM, VRAM, cache memory, registered memory, and / or the like. In various embodiments, memory 1410 may store a queue of commands (e.g., an executable queue) to be executed to cause quantum algorithms and / or circuits to be executed, qubit records corresponding to qubits of the quantum computer (e.g., in a qubit record data store, qubit record database, qubit record table, and / or the like), calibration tables, computer program code (e.g., in one or more computer languages, dedicated controller languages, and / or the like), and / or the like. In exemplary embodiments, execution of at least a portion of the computer program code stored in memory 1410 (e.g., by processing device 1405) causes controller 30 to perform one or more steps, operations, processes, procedures, and / or the like described herein to provide manipulation signals to quantum object locations and / or to collect, detect, capture, and / or measure indications of emission signals emitted by quantum objects positioned at corresponding quantum object locations in confinement assembly 200.

[0233] In various embodiments, driver controller element 1415 can include one or more driver and / or controller elements, each configured to control one or more drivers. In various embodiments, driver controller element 1415 can include a driver and / or driver controller. For example, a driver controller can be configured to cause one or more corresponding drivers to be operated according to executable instructions, commands, and / or the like, scheduled and executed by controller 30 (e.g., by processing device 1405). In various embodiments, driver controller element 1415 can enable controller 30 to operate voltage supply source 50, manipulation source 60, a cooling system, and / or the like. In various embodiments, the driver can be a laser driver configured to operate one or more manipulation sources 60 to generate manipulation signals; a vacuum component driver; a driver for controlling the flow of current and / or voltage applied to electrodes used to maintain and / or control the trapping potential of the confinement assembly 200 (and / or other drivers for providing driver action sequences to potential-generating elements of the quantum object confinement assembly); a cryostat and / or vacuum system component driver; a cooling system driver, and / or the like. In various embodiments, the controller 30 includes means for communicating and / or receiving signals from one or more optical receiver components (e.g., photodetectors of an optics collection system).For example, the controller 30 may include one or more analog-to-digital converter elements 1425 configured to receive signals from one or more optical receiver components (e.g., photodetectors of an optics collection system), calibration sensors, and / or the like.

[0234] In various embodiments, controller 30 may include a communications interface 1420 for interfacing and / or communicating with computing entity 10. For example, controller 30 may include a communications interface 1420 for receiving executable instructions, command sets, and / or the like from computing entity 10, and for providing to computing entity 10 output received from quantum computer 110 (e.g., from collection optics system 70) and / or results of processing the output. In various embodiments, computing entity 10 and controller 30 may communicate via a direct wired and / or wireless connection and / or via one or more wired and / or wireless networks 20.

[0235] Exemplary Computing Entity 15 provides a representative schematic diagram of an exemplary computing entity 10 that may be used with embodiments of the present invention. In various embodiments, computing entity 10 is configured to allow a user (e.g., via a user interface of computing entity 10) to provide input to quantum computer 110, as well as receive, display, analyze, and / or the like, output from quantum computer 110.

[0236] 15, the computing entity 10 may include an antenna 1512, a transmitter 1504 (e.g., a radio), a receiver 1506 (e.g., a radio), and a processing device 1508, which provides signals to the transmitter 1504 and receives signals from the receiver 1506. The signals provided to the transmitter 1504 and received from the receiver 1506 may include signaling information / data in accordance with the air interface standard of the applicable wireless system for communicating with various entities, such as, for example, the controller 30, other computing entities 10, and / or the like. In this regard, the computing entity 10 may be capable of operating with one or more air interface standards, communication protocols, modulation types, and access types. For example, computing entity 10 may be configured to receive and / or provide communications using a wired data transmission protocol, such as Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI), Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), Ethernet, Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), Frame Relay, Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS), or any other wired transmission protocol.Similarly, the computing entity 10 may support any of the following standards: General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Code Division Multiple Access 2000 (CDMA2000), CDMA2000 1X (1xRTT), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE), Time Division-Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN), Evolution-Data Optimized (EVDO), High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), High-Speed ​​Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi), Wi-Fi Direct, 802.16 The device may be configured to communicate over a wireless external communications network using any of a variety of protocols, such as Wireless Max (WiMAX), Ultra Wideband (UWB), Infrared (IR) protocol, Near Field Communication (NFC) protocol, Wibree, Bluetooth protocol, Wireless Universal Serial Bus (USB) protocol, and / or any other wireless protocol.Computing entity 10 may use such protocols and standards to communicate using Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), Domain Name System (DNS), File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), HTTP over TLS / SSL / Secure, Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP), Network Time Protocol (NTP), Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), Telnet, Transport Layer Security (TLS), Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), Internet Protocol (IP), Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), User Datagram Protocol (UDP), Datagram Congestion Control Protocol (DCCP), Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP), HyperText Markup Language (HTML), and / or the like.

[0237] Through these communication standards and protocols, computing entity 10 may communicate with various other entities using concepts such as Unstructured Supplementary Service information / data (USSD), Short Message Service (SMS), Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency Signaling (DTMF), and / or Subscriber Identity Module Dialer (SIM Dialer), etc. Computing entity 10 may also download modifications, add-ons, and updates to its firmware, software (including, e.g., executable instructions, applications, program modules), and operating system, for example.

[0238] For example, the processing device 1508 may include one or more processing elements and / or controllers, such as a programmable logic device (CPLD), microprocessor, co-processing entity, application specific instruction set processor (ASIP), integrated circuit, application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), field programmable gate array (FPGA), programmable logic array (PLA), hardware accelerator, other processing devices and / or circuits, and / or the like. The term circuitry may refer to an entirely hardware embodiment or a combination of hardware and a computer program product.

[0239] In various embodiments, computing entity 10 may include a network interface 1520, for example, to interface with and / or communicate with controller 30. For example, computing entity 10 may include a network interface 1520 to provide executable instructions, command sets, and / or the like for receipt by controller 30 and / or to receive output and / or results of processing output provided by quantum computer 110. In various embodiments, computing entity 10 and controller 30 may communicate via a direct wired and / or wireless connection and / or via one or more wired and / or wireless networks 20.

[0240] Computing entity 10 may also include user interface devices including one or more user input / output interfaces (e.g., a display 1516 and / or speakers / speaker drivers coupled to processing device 1508, as well as a touchscreen, keyboard, mouse, and / or microphone coupled to processing device 1508). For example, the user output interface may be configured to provide an application, browser, user interface, interface, dashboard, screen, webpage, page, and / or similar terms used interchangeably herein running on and / or accessible via computing entity 10 for causing a display or audible presentation of information / data and for interaction therewith via one or more user input interfaces. The user input interface may include any of a number of devices that enable computing entity 10 to receive data, such as a keypad 1518 (hard or soft), a touch display, a voice / speech or motion interface, a scanner, reader, or other input device. In embodiments including a keypad 1518, the keypad 1518 may include (or cause the display of) conventional numeric (0-9) and related keys (#, *), and other keys used to operate computing entity 10, and may include a full set of alphabetic keys or a set of keys that can be activated to provide a full set of alphanumeric keys. In addition to providing input, the user input interface may be used to activate or deactivate certain features, such as, for example, a screen saver and / or sleep mode. Through such input, computing entity 10 may collect information / data, user interaction / input, and / or the like.

[0241] The computing entity 10 may also include volatile storage or memory 1522 and / or nonvolatile storage or memory 1524, which may be embedded and / or removable. For example, the nonvolatile memory may be ROM, PROM, EPROM, EEPROM, flash memory, MMC, SD memory cards, memory sticks, CBRAM, PRAM, FeRAM, RRAM, SONOS, racetrack memory, and / or the like. The volatile memory may be RAM, DRAM, SRAM, FPM DRAM, EDO DRAM, SDRAM, DDR SDRAM, DDR2 SDRAM, DDR3 SDRAM, RDRAM, RIMM, DIMM, SIMM, VRAM, cache memory, registered memory, and / or the like. The volatile and non-volatile storage or memory may store databases, database instances, database management system entities, data, applications, programs, program modules, scripts, source code, object code, byte code, compiled code, interpreted code, machine code, executable instructions, and / or the like to implement the functionality of computing entity 10.

[0242] conclusion Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions described herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which these inventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. It is to be understood, therefore, that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. [Explanation of symbols]

[0243] 5 particles 10 Computing Entities 20 Wired or Wireless Networks 30 Controllers 40 Cryostat, vacuum chamber 50 Voltage supply source 60 Manipulation Source 66, 66A, 66B, 66C Optical Path 70 Optics Collection System 100 Quantum Computing Systems 110 Quantum Computer 200 Confinement Assembly 205 First substrate 208 Surface 210 Beer 215 Control Line 220 Signal Manipulation Elements 250 particle position 250A First particle position 250B Second particle position 255 Collection Location 260 Arrival signal, incident signal 265 Guidance Signal 270 Emission signal, stimulation signal 275 Collected Signals 280 plane 310 Collecting Fiber 330 Collecting Lens 402 Second Surface 405 Second board 408 First Surface 410 Beer 415 Signal Line 420 Signal Manipulation Elements 420A, 420B Action Elements 420C Collecting Element 430 Collection Optics 450 through hole 480 plane 500 Second board 510 Beer 515 Control Line 520 Signal Manipulation Elements 530 Gain Materials 532 Surface normal of second substrate 535 Voltage Control Line 540 External Cavity 550 VECSEL 620 Signal Manipulation Elements 630 VCSEL 635 VCSEL control line 640 Nanophotonic Structures 642 Arrow 644 Retroreflector 645 Laser Control Line 646 External Cavity 648 Signal Manipulation Elements 650 Laser 705A First seeding laser beam and / or optical pumping beam 705B Second seeding laser beam and / or optical pumping beam 705C Third seeding laser beam and / or optical pumping beam 720, 720A, 720B Signal Manipulation Elements 730, 730A, 730B, 730C Potential Generating Elements 760A First Integrated Laser 760B Second Integrated Laser 760C Third Integrated Laser 760D 4th Integrated Laser 810 Waveguide 815 Out-of-plane coupler 860 Integrated Laser 880 surface 910 Waveguide 920 Signal Manipulation Elements 930, 930A, 930B Potential Generating Elements 935 Shield 960A First Integrated Laser 960B Second Integrated Laser 1010 Waveguide 1015 Direct bond, edge bond 1060 Integrated Laser 1110 Planar waveguide, slab waveguide 1115 Out-of-plane coupler 1115A First Out-of-Plane Coupler 1115B Second out-of-plane coupler 1160 Integrated Laser 1160A First Integrated Laser 1160B Second Integrated Laser 1210 Waveguide 1210A First Waveguide 1210B Second Waveguide 1260 Integrated Laser 1260A First Integrated Laser 1260B Second Integrated Laser 1260C Third Integrated Laser 1360 Integrated Laser 1360A First Integrated Laser 1360B Second Integrated Laser 1360C Third Integrated Laser 1360D 4th Integrated Laser 1360E 5th Integrated Laser 1360F 6th Integrated Laser 1360G 7th Integrated Laser 1405 Processing Device 1410 Memory 1415 Driver Controller Element 1420 Communication Interface 1425 Analog-to-Digital Converter Element 1504 Transmitter 1506 Receiver 1508 Processing Device 1512 Antenna 1516 Display 1508 Processing Device 1520 Network Interface 1522 Volatile Storage or Memory 1524 Non-volatile storage or memory d A First distance d B Second distance φ angle

Claims

1. 1. A confinement assembly configured to confine one or more quantum objects, comprising: a first substrate having a plurality of electric potential-generating elements formed thereon, the electric potential-generating elements operable to generate one or more confinement regions configured to confine the one or more quantum objects; Optionally, a second substrate fixed relative to the first substrate; at least a portion of a laser formed in one of the first substrate or the second substrate, the at least a portion of the laser including a gain medium and at least a portion of a resonant structure; Including, A confinement assembly at least partially defining an optical path for causing at least one optical beam to interact with at least the portion of the laser, the at least one optical beam being one of: (a) a seeding laser beam configured to control at least one characteristic of light emitted by the laser; or (b) an optical pumping beam configured to power lasing activity of the laser.

2. 2. The confinement assembly of claim 1, wherein the optical path is configured to cause the at least one optical beam to interact with the at least a portion of the laser by causing the at least one optical beam to be incident on at least one of the gain medium or the resonant structure.

3. 2. The confinement assembly of claim 1, wherein the optical path includes a waveguide disposed in at least one of the first substrate or the second substrate, and the waveguide is configured to cause the at least one optical beam to interact with the at least a portion of the laser by one of: (i) providing the at least one optical beam to be incident on at least one of the gain medium or the resonant structure via an out-of-plane coupler; (ii) providing the at least one optical beam to be incident on at least one of the gain medium or the resonant structure via edge coupling; or (iii) causing the at least one optical beam to interact with the gain medium via evanescent coupling.

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