Abstract: A confinement apparatus is provided that includes one or more sorting sections and an operation section. Each sorting section comprises a plurality of sorting section radio frequency (RF) rails that are configured to, when a sorting RF voltage is applied thereto, define a plurality of sorting confinement regions configured for confining quantum objects. Each sorting section RF rail has a sorting thickness in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the sorting section RF rail. The operation section comprises a plurality of operation section RF rails that are configured to, when an operation RF voltage is applied thereto, define a plurality of operation confinement regions configured for confining the quantum objects. Each operation section RF rail has an operation thickness in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the operation section RF rail. The operation thickness is larger than the sorting thickness.

Abstract: A quantum object confinement apparatus configured for performing conditional operations using broadcasted voltage signals is provided. In an example embodiment, the confinement apparatus comprises one or more electrode sequences. Each electrode sequence comprises a respective plurality of control electrodes configured to control the electric potential in a respective trapping region of one or more trapping regions of the confinement apparatus. A first switchable control electrode of the respective plurality of control electrodes is configured to be switchably in electrical communication with a respective selected switchable control voltage source of two or more switchable control voltage sources.

Abstract: An ion-based atomic clock comprising an ion trap configured to trap a plurality of ions; and a micro-resonator-based frequency comb configured to directly drive a terahertz transition between metastable levels in the trapped plurality of ions. The micro-resonator-based frequency comb may be configured to directly drive a 24 terahertz transition in at least one Ba+ ion, a 8.4 terahertz transition in at least one Sr+ ion, or a 1.8 terahertz transition in at least one Ca+ ion. The micro-resonator-based frequency comb may be configured to provide output similar to a pulsed laser. The ion-based atomic clock may be free of a carrier-offset-stabilized frequency comb. The ion-based atomic clock may comprise a mini-vacuum ion trap assembly. Polarization of the micro-resonator-based frequency comb may be tuned to make the ion-based atomic clock be insensitive to laser light power fluctuations.