Gate fidelity, dephasing, and 'magic' trapping of optically trapped neutral atom

The fidelity of the gate operation and the coherence time of neutral atoms trapped in an optical dipole trap are figures of merit for the applications. The motion of the trapped atom is one of the key factors which influences the gate fidelity and coherence time. The motion has been considered as a classical oscillator in analyzing the influence. Here we treat the motion of the atom as a quantum oscillator. The population on the vibrational states of the atom are considered in analyzing the gate fidelity and decoherence. We show that the fidelity of a coherent rotation gate is dramatically limited by the temperature of a thermally trapped atom. We also show that the dephasing between the two hyperfine states due to the thermal motion of the atom could rephase naturally if the differential frequency shift is stable and the vibrational states do not change. The decoherence due to the fluctuations of the trap laser intensity is also discussed. Both the gate fidelity and coherence time can be dramatically enhanced by cooling the atom into vibrational ground states and/or by using a blue-detuned trap. More importantly, we propose a 'magic' trapping condition by preparing the atom into specific vibrational states.

Automated summary

The fidelity and coherence time of gate operations on neutral atoms trapped in an optical dipole trap are crucial for their applications. The motion of the trapped atoms, considered as a classical oscillator in previous analyses, is now treated as a quantum oscillator. The influence of the atom's motion on gate fidelity and decoherence is studied by analyzing the population on its vibrational states. It is discovered that the fidelity of a coherent rotation gate is significantly limited by the temperature of the trapped atom. However, the dephasing between hyperfine states caused by the thermal motion of the atom can naturally rephase under certain stable conditions. Additionally, the decoherence due to fluctuations of the trap laser intensity is discussed. Cooling the atom into vibrational ground states and/or using a blue-detuned trap can greatly enhance both gate fidelity and coherence time. Furthermore, a "magic" trapping condition is proposed by preparing the atom into specific vibrational states.