Towards a Barium Trapped-Ion System Onboard an UAS

Quantum repeaters require a quantum memory component to operate. Any large scale quantum network will require these repeaters to operate, and laboratory demonstrations of trapped ions have been shown to perform well enough to serve as the memory in such a system. For many use cases, fiber links between quantum fixed-location networking nodes will fully meet the needs of the network. However, in some cases a mobile networking node may be required. Here we show progress towards the operation of a trapped barium ion onboard an unmanned aircraft system [UAS]. We show early work on preparing our barium trapped-ion system for flight aboard a UAS. This includes tests showing the operation of integrated photonic circuits onboard a ground-tethered UAS in-flight within an indoor test environment, and the operation of a compact barium ion trap within a footprint compatible with the UAS's cargo area. This work demonstrates the feasibility of operating a trapped ion quantum memory outside of pristine laboratory conditions. Approved for Public Release; Distribution Unlimited: AFRL-2023-5818.