Project details

Context

Trapped ion quantum computing relies heavily on laser optics to manipulate atoms and perform quantum information processing. The wide variety of energy levels transitions involved in the system require a wide variety of wavelengths in the experimental setup. Each beam then needs to be controllable either in frequency and/or direction and/or intensity, all of which can be achieved using the acousto-optic effect in a so called double-pass AOM setup.

However, as one such setup is required for each of the many laser beams, this ends up using quite a bit of optical table space. My project was thus to prototype a small and versatile double-pass AOM device integrated on an optical board that could easily be serially manufactured while still being able to accommodate all the different wavelengths and configurations required by the lab.

Results

Over the course of 3 months, I implemented a double pass architecture that makes use of a polarizing beam splitter and cat's eye retroreflector. The final device is rack mountable and with a simple I/O terminal consisting of polarization-maintaining optical fibers. Illustrations of the final board are shown in the images.

The alignment of the beam is achieved through kinematic mirrors mounts, rotary waveplates, and custom edge stops.