IonLinQ – Optical Network Interfaces for Trapped-Ion Quantum Processors

IonLinQ develops novel photonic interfaces to connect trapped-ion quantum processors into a scalable quantum supercomputer. At the core of the project are micro-photonic fiber-based resonators integrated directly into ion-trap electrodes. This enables a fast and phase-coherent exchange of quantum information between network components and modern quantum hardware. A key challenge hereby, are stray fields produced by accumulating charges in dielectric surfaces of the resonators. To overcome this, IonLinQ designs and tests specialized conductive mirror coatings that eliminate relevant disturbances and make resonator integration robust and deterministic. The resulting high-bandwidth spin–photon interfaces support remote photonic entanglement at speeds comparable to local multi-qubit operations. This enables a modular and future-proof computing architecture, similar in spirit to today’s high-performance computing systems. Furthermore, IonLinQ opens pathways to integrate other quantum technologies, such as platforms based on Rydberg-atoms or vacancy centres.
More information on the BMFTR’s website (https://www.quantensysteme.info/projektatlas/projekte/q/ionlinq) (in German)