Expanding upon the omg architecture using narrow linewidth transitions in Yb⁺

The omg blueprint attempts to realize low cross-talk, high fidelity multi-qubit operations using a single ion species by encoding qubits in zero-field hyperfine clock states in both the ground and metastable manifolds. In ¹⁷¹Yb⁺, the long-lived ²F^o_7/2 state is a promising platform for such metastable (“m-type”) qubits. However, coherent coupling of these metastable states to ion motion remains challenging with conventional techniques. The many high-J metastable states directly accessible from the ²F^o_7/2 manifold via narrow infrared E2 transitions offer new optical-frequency (“o-type”) qubit capabilities. We report measurements of isotope shifts, hyperfine splittings, and lifetimes for several previously unobserved E2 transitions in Yb⁺. We propose schemes to exploit these transitions to generate a state-dependent force for m-type qubits, enabling entangling operations within the OMG framework. In addition, these transitions may provide new opportunities to probe isotope-shift nonlinearities in ytterbium.