Apparatuses, systems, and methods for ion traps

1. An ion trap apparatus comprising:

two or more radio frequency (RF) rails formed with substantially parallel longitudinal axes and with substantially coplanar upper surfaces; and

two or more sequences of trapping and/or transport (TT) electrodes with each sequence formed to extend substantially parallel to the substantially parallel longitudinal axes of the RF rails, the two or more RF rails and the two or more sequences of TT electrodes defining an ion trap, wherein the two or more sequences of TT electrodes are arranged into a number of zones, each zone comprising wide matched groups of TT electrodes and at least one narrow matched group of TT electrodes, wherein a wide TT electrode of one of the wide matched groups of TT electrodes is wider in a direction substantially parallel to the substantially parallel longitudinal axes of the two or more RF rails than a narrow TT electrode of the at least one narrow matched group of TT electrodes.

2. The ion trap apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each wide TT electrode of the wide matched groups of TT electrodes is at least approximately twice as wide as a narrow TT electrode of the at least one narrow matched group of TT electrodes in the direction substantially parallel to the substantially parallel longitudinal axes of the two or more RF rails.

3. The ion trap apparatus of claim 1 , wherein (a) the number of zones comprises at least one action zone and at least one intermediary zone, (b) the at least one action zone is configured for an action to be performed on at least one ion within the at least one action zone, and (c) the at least one intermediary zone is configured for stabilizing the at least one ion within the intermediary zone during a transport operation of the at least one ion.

4. The ion trap apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the at least one action comprises at least one of (a) interacting at least two ions within the ion trap or (b) acting on at least one ion within the ion trap with a manipulation source.

5. The ion trap apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the manipulation source is one of at least one laser beam or at least one microwave field.

6. The ion trap apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the at least one action zone is configured to have a quantum logic gate performed on an ion within the at least one action zone.

7. The ion trap apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the at least one action zone comprises three narrow matched groups of TT electrodes disposed between two wide matched groups of TT electrodes.

8. The ion trap apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the at least one action zone comprises a plurality of narrow matched groups of TT electrodes that are configured to generate an electrical potential that may be adjusted from a single well potential to a multiple well potential within the at least one action zone.

9. The ion trap apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the at least one intermediary zone comprises one narrow matched group of TT electrodes disposed between two wide matched groups of TT electrodes.

10. The ion trap apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the at least one action zone comprises at least two action zones and the at least one intermediary zone is disposed between the at least two action zones.

11. The ion trap apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of zones comprises at least one storage zone.

12. The ion trap apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the at least one storage zone comprises at least three narrow matched groups of TT electrodes.

13. The ion trap apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a loading zone configured for loading ions or atoms into the ion trap.

14. The ion trap apparatus of claim 1 , wherein (a) the two or more RF rails are disposed between a first and third sequence of TT electrodes, (b) the two or more RF rails form at least one longitudinal gap, and (c) a second sequence of TT electrodes is disposed within the longitudinal gap.

15. The ion trap apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the two or more sequences of TT electrodes are configured to be operated so as to cause an ion within the ion trap to be transported along at least a portion of a confinement region, the confinement region extending substantially parallel to the substantially parallel longitudinal axes of the two or more RF rails.

16. The ion trap apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of TT leads, each TT lead being in electrical communication with only one TT electrode of the two or more sequences of TT electrodes.

17. The ion trap apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each TT electrode of the two or more sequences of TT electrodes is operated independently.

18. The ion trap apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each TT electrode of the two or more sequences of TT electrodes is configured to be biased with a TT voltage in the range of approximately −20 Volts to +20 Volts.

19. The ion trap apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the ion trap apparatus is part of a trapped ion quantum computer.

20. An ion trap apparatus comprising:

two or more radio frequency (RF) rails formed with substantially parallel longitudinal axes; and

two or more sequences of trapping and/or transport (TT) electrodes with each sequence formed to extend substantially parallel to the substantially parallel longitudinal axes of the RF rails, the two or more RF rails and the two or more sequences of TT electrodes defining an ion trap, wherein the two or more sequences of TT electrodes are arranged into a plurality of zones, wherein (a) the plurality of zones comprises at least one action zone and at least one intermediary zone, (b) the at least one action zone is configured for an action to be performed on at least one ion within the at least one action zone, and (c) the at least one intermediary zone is configured for stabilizing the at least one ion within the intermediary zone during a transport operation of the at least one ion.