One-dimensional array of ion chains coupled to an optical cavity

We present a novel system where an optical cavity is integrated with a microfabricated planar-electrode ion trap. The trap electrodes produce a tunable periodic potential allowing the trapping of up to 50 separate ion chains aligned with the cavity and spaced by 160μm in a one-dimensional array along the cavity axis. Each chain can contain up to 20 individually addressable Yb ions coupled to the cavity mode. We demonstrate deterministic distribution of ions between the sites of the electrostatic periodic potential and control of the ion–cavity coupling. The measured strength of this coupling should allow access to the strong collective coupling regime with .10 ions. The optical cavity could serve as a quantum information bus between ions or be used to generate a strong wavelength-scale periodic optical potential. 1 Currently at IQOQI, Innsbruck, Austria. 2 Currently at TOPTICA Photonics AG, R&D Division, Lochhamer Schlag 19, D-82166 Gräfelfing, Germany. 3 Currently at École Normale Supérieure, Paris, France. 4 Author to whom any correspondence should be addressed. Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 licence. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI. New Journal of Physics 15 (2013) 053001 1367-2630/13/053001+14$33.00 © IOP Publishing Ltd and Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft