Accelerated Cooling Dynamics: Coupling Ion Crystal Modes for Improved Quantum Sensing and Simulation

Penning trap planar ion crystals offer a remarkable platform for quantum sensing and simulation on hundreds of qubits¹. These experiments rely on sophisticated laser cooling techniques and are subject to complex many-body physics that can hinder cooling efforts^2,3. Using a first principles simulation framework⁴, we investigate these dynamics to identify conditions and parameters for improved laser cooling. Our simulations demonstrate that the ion crystal’s spectra can be tuned by controlling the trap radial confinement to facilitate coupling between the rapidly cooled axial motion (along B field) and the difficult to cool planar ExB motion (perpendicular to B field). The coupling of axial and ExB motions leads to a x100 speed up in the cooling of the ExB motion compared to that obtained with current experimental parameters. The result is improved with a stronger rotating wall potential⁵ and a narrower beam width, yielding robust cooling for more combinations of laser beam offset and detuning. Future investigations will consider the application of an axializing drive⁶ for coupling planar and axial motions, and modeling of sub-doppler laser cooling techniques.





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