P. Rabl

Electric-field noise near surfaces is a common problem in diverse areas of physics, and a limiting factor for many precision measurements. There are multiple mechanisms by which such noise is generated, many of which are poorly understood. Laser-cooled, trapped ions provide one of the most sensitive systems to probe electric-field noise at MHz frequencies and over a distance range 30 - 3000 $μ$m from the surface. Over recent years numerous experiments have reported spectral densities of electric-field noise inferred from ion heating-rate measurements and several different theoretical explanations for the observed noise characteristics have been proposed. This paper provides an extensive summary and critical review of electric-field noise measurements in ion traps, and compares these experimental findings with known and conjectured mechanisms for the origin of this noise. This reveals that the presence of multiple noise sources, as well as the different scalings added by geometrical considerations, complicate the interpretation of these results. It is thus the purpose of this review to assess which conclusions can be reasonably drawn from the existing data, and which important questions are still open. In so doing it provides a framework for future investigations of surface-noise processes.

Electric field noise is a hinderance to the assembly of large scale quantum computers based on entangled trapped ions. Apart from ubiquitous technical noise sources, experimental studies of trapped ion heating have revealed additional limiting contributions to this noise, originating from atomic processes on the electrode surfaces. In a recent work [A. Safavi-Naini et al., Phys. Rev. A 84, 023412 (2011)] we described a microscopic model for this excess electric field noise, which points a way towards a more systematic understanding of surface adsorbates as progenitors of electric field jitter noise. Here, we address the impact of surface monolayer contamination on adsorbate induced noise processes. By using exact numerical calculations for H and N atomic monolayers on an Au(111) surface representing opposite extremes of physisorption and chemisorption, we show that an additional monolayer can significantly affect the noise power spectrum and either enhance or suppress the resulting heating rates.

Motional heating of ions in micro-fabricated traps is a challenge hindering experimental realization of large-scale quantum processing devices. Recently a series of measurements of the heating rates in surface-electrode ion traps characterized their frequency, distance, and temperature dependencies, but our understanding of the microscopic origin of this noise is still vague. In this work we develop a theoretical model for the electric field noise which is associated with a random distribution of adsorbed atoms on the trap electrode surface. By using first principle calculations of the fluctuating dipole moments of the adsorbed atoms we evaluate the distance, frequency and temperature dependence of the resulting electric field fluctuation spectrum.Our theory calculates the noise spectrum beyond the standard scenario of two-level fluctuators, by incorporating all the relevant vibrational states. The $1/f$ noise is shown to commence at roughly the frequency of the fundamental phonon transition rate and the $d^{-4}$ dependence with distance of the ion from the electrode surface is established.

The challenge of building a scalable quantum processor requires consolidation of the conflicting requirements of achieving coherent control and preservation of quantum coherence in a large scale quantum system. Moreover, the system should be compatible with miniaturization and integration of quantum circuits. Mesoscopic solid state systems such as superconducting islands and quantum dots feature robust control techniques using local electrical signals and self-evident scaling based on advances in fabrication; however, in general the quantum states of solid state devices tend to decohere rapidly. In contrast, quantum optical systems based on trapped ions and neutral atoms exhibit dramatically better coherence properties, while miniaturization of atomic and molecular systems, and their integration with mesoscopic electrical circuits, remains an important challenge. Below we describe methods for the integration of a single particle system -- an isolated polar molecule -- with mesoscopic solid state devices in a way that produces robust, coherent, quantum-level control. The methods described include the trapping, cooling, detection, coherent manipulation and quantum coupling of isolated polar molecules at sub-micron dimensions near cryogenic stripline microwave resonators. We show that electrostatically trapped polar molecules can exhibit strong confinement and fast, purely electrical gate control. Furthermore, the effect of electrical noise sources, a key issue in quantum information processing, can be suppressed to very low levels via appropriate preparation and manipulation of the polar molecules. Our setup provides a scalable cavity QED-type quantum computer architecture, where entanglement of distant qubits stored in long-lived rotational molecular states is achieved via exchange of microwave photons.

We develop a theory of quantum feedback cooling of a single ion trapped in front of a mirror. By monitoring the motional sidebands of the light emitted into the mirror mode we infer the position of the ion, and act back with an appropriate force to cool the ion. We derive a feedback master equation along the lines of the quantum feedback theory developed by Wiseman and Milburn, which provides us with cooling times and final temperatures as a function of feedback gain and various system parameters.

We present a generic model of coupling quantum optical and solid state qubits, and the corresponding transfer protocols. The example discussed is a trapped ion coupled to a charge qubit (e.g. Cooper pair box). To enhance the coupling, and achieve compatibility between the different experimental setups we introduce a superconducting cavity as the connecting element.