High-Performance Monolithic Segmented 3D Ion Trap for Heavy Ionic Species

Advances in microfabrication techniques have recently renewed interest in modular, monolithic three-dimensional structures for ion trapping [1,2,3,4]. Conventional 3D blade traps provide high, multi-directional optical access, good EM shielding, ~eV trap depth, and modest heating rates owing to large ion-electrode distances, but are prone to geometric misalignment during assembly, leading to trap potential inhomogeneities. Microfabricated 2D chip traps address geometric inaccuracies and are a scalable form of trapped-ion architecture, but they lack the trapping depths and the shielding characteristics of blade traps.  In this collaborative effort among Rice University, Duke University, and Translume Inc., we report on our multi-generational development of monolithic fused silica blade traps featuring high optical access, a R_0=250 microns electrode-ion distance, and ultra-low heating rates at room temperature (1 quanta/s at 3 MHz). These improvements make our traps compatible with high-mass ions such as ¹⁷¹Yb⁺. We discuss trends in trap-surface electric-field noise, ex situ plasma cleaning, and test spin-spin and spin-boson interactions through coherent manipulation of Yb⁺ ions. [5].

 

[1] E. Jordan et al. Quantum Sci. Technol. 10 045005 (2025)

[2] S. Auchter et al.  Quantum Sci. Technol. 7 035015 (2022)

[3] Xu, S., Xia, X., Yu, Q. et al. Nature 645, 362–368 (2025)

[4] D. Keisenhofer, H. Hainzer, et al. PRX Quantum 4, 020317 (2023)

[5] A. Menon, M. Straus, et al., arXiv preprint arXiv:2603.16048 (2026)