Development of an Ion-Photon Quantum Information Converter as a Scalable Quantum Interconnect

A critical component of scalable quantum networks is the "quantum interconnect", a device that allows the transfer of information between disparate physical media. Here, we present the development of an ion-photon quantum information converter (IP-QIC), that seeks to directly interface wave-guided photons with an array of trapped ions. Using a thermal drawing process, we realize a multi-material optical fiber incorporating ion trap electrodes surrounding a light-guiding optical core. The core is enclosed in a layer of conductive low-density polyethylene to produce the static trapping fields of the ion trap. We present the fabrication process of this highly specialized fiber, including its integration with UHV systems. This work introduces a new architecture for ion-photon integration and aims to address some of the unique challenges in realizing quantum interconnects.