SoP Colloquium

Abstract: Penning ion traps are useful experimental platforms for quantum simulation, mass spectrometry, precision metrology, and molecular ion spectroscopy. The GTRI Quantum Systems Division (QSD) has developed a compact, permanent-magnet-based Penning trap that is compatible with cold ion experiments, and we have recently updated our compact trap design with printed-circuit-board electrodes and improved trap magnetic field stability. We describe some near-term applications of this system including compact atomic clocks with dual-species, three-dimensional (3D) ion crystals and demonstration of the quantum approximate optimization algorithm (QAOA) with 2D ion arrays. We also highlight other notable results from the QSD in the field of ion trap quantum information.

Bio: Dr. Brian Sawyer is the Chief Engineer of the Quantum Systems Division at GTRI. He received his Ph.D. in the group of Dr. Jun Ye at JILA/University of Colorado in 2010, where he demonstrated Stark deceleration and magnetic trapping of cold OH molecular beams and performed the first cold collision experiments between OH and ND3 molecules. He subsequently worked in the group of Dr. David J. Wineland at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as a National Research Council postdoctoral fellow, where he performed the first quantum simulation experiments using two-dimensional ion arrays in a conventional Penning trap. He now leads two experimental efforts at GTRI developing compact Penning traps for portable atomic clock and quantum simulation applications.