RF Electrode Shaping for Periodic Atomic Trapping Arrays

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Solution Overview

Problem

The perturbations caused by the finite edges of the periodic array of confinement segments in atomic object confinement apparatuses lead to inaccuracies in the confinement and motional frequencies of atomic objects, affecting the accuracy of operations performed with lasers and other applied fields, and reducing the fidelity of parallelized operations.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating RF bus electrodes around the perimeter of the central zone to mitigate the array edge effects, ensuring the trapping pseudopotential is substantially periodic by applying an oscillating voltage signal to both RF rail and bus electrodes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If a periodic array of confinement segments is used to enable parallel operations, then productivity is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to edge perturbations affecting confinement periodicity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveparallel operations capabilityVSAvoidconfinement periodicity accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

Dummy confinement segments are introduced as intermediary elements at the edges of the periodic array. These dummy segments do not contain atomic objects but serve to cancel the edge perturbations that would otherwise affect the periodicity and stability of the confinement potential in the active regions, thereby maintaining manufacturing precision while preserving productivity benefits

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The dummy confinement segments create a preliminary counteracting effect against the edge perturbations before these perturbations can affect the active confinement regions. By pre-establishing the compensating potential structure at the boundaries, the system prevents periodicity errors from propagating into the operational areas

Inventive Principle:
Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

2Device complexity

If RF rail electrodes are used to generate trapping pseudopotential, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision deteriorates due to perturbations in motional frequencies

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveelectrode configuration simplicityVSAvoidmotional frequency accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

Dummy confinement segments act as intermediary structures that absorb and cancel the edge-induced perturbations in the electric field. This allows the simple RF rail electrode configuration to maintain both its low complexity advantage and achieve high measurement precision by eliminating frequency perturbations through the compensating dummy segments

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The RF bus electrodes reduce perturbations, maintaining the periodicity of the trapping pseudopotential, thereby improving the accuracy and fidelity of operations on atomic objects, enabling efficient parallelization in quantum processors and computers.

Implementation Method 1

When an oscillating voltage signal (e.g., an RF oscillating voltage signal) is applied to the RF rail electrodes, the RF rail electrodes generate a trapping pseudopotential in the form of an array of linear trapping regions

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPseudopotential trapping: Potential Well

Implementation Method 2

The RF bus electrodes are configured such that, when the oscillating voltage signal is applied to the one or more RF bus electrodes (in addition to the oscillating voltage signal being applied to the one or more RF rail electrodes), the perturbations to the periodicity of the array of trapping regions formed by the trapping pseudopotential within the central zone of atomic object confinement apparatus are reduced and/or mitigated

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectEdge effect mitigation:

Data Source

PatentEP4195222B1Atomic object confinement apparatus with radio frequency electrode shaping for periodic boundary conditions
Publication Date: 2026.02.04 QUANTINUUM LLC
  • EP4195222B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4195222B1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP4195222B1 patent drawingFigure 1B

AI summary

Atomic object confinement apparatuses (100) that include RF busses and systems including atomic object confinement apparatuses that include RF busses are provided. An example atomic object confinement apparatus comprises RF rail electrodes (122) and an RF bus electrode(s) (112). The RF rail electrodes form a periodic array of confinement segments (132) within a central zone of the atomic object confinement apparatus and the RF bus electrodes are disposed in a perimeter zone (116) disposed about the central zone (120). The RF rail electrodes and the RF bus electrode(s) are configured to generate a substantially periodic array of trapping regions (130) when an oscillating voltage signal is applied to the RF rail electrodes and the RF bus electrode(s).