Operation of micron-scale 3D-printed ion traps at cryogenic temperatures

We are characterizing 3D-printed ion traps as a potential scalable architecture for quantum information science. Although the traps are comparable in size to their surface trap counterparts, these traps have a superior trapping potential due to the three-dimensional electrode structure. We developed a cryogenic ion trapping system optimized for efficient, iterative prototyping of 3D-printed trap designs and are working with the first horizontal traps based on the two-photon polymerization 3D-printing process. We have trapped small Sr⁺ crystals, as well as measured trap secular frequencies and performed spectroscopy on the trapped ions. We are working on measuring the dependence of motional heating rates on the secular frequency and trapping location. The fabrication process supports complex trap structures which hold promise for realizing motional operations to support the quantum charge-coupled device (QCCD) architecture. The traps are designed to be compatible with integrated photonics, which is promising for scalability and portable optical clocks.